Antiquities Book 13, Chapter 15
How Antiochus, Who Was Called Dionysus, And After Him Aretas Made Expeditions Into Judea; As Also How Alexander Took Many Cities And Then Returned To Jerusalem, And After A Sickness Of Three Years Died; And What Counsel He Gave To Alexandra.
1. After this, Antiochus, who was called Dionysus, 41 and was Philip's
brother, aspired to the dominion, and came to Damascus, and got the
power into his hands, and there he reigned; but as he was making war
against the Arabians, his brother Philip heard of it, and came to
Damascus, where Milesius, who had been left governor of the citadel, and
the Damascens themselves, delivered up the city to him; yet because
Philip was become ungrateful to him, and had bestowed upon him nothing
of that in hopes whereof he had received him into the city, but had a
mind to have it believed that it was rather delivered up out of fear
than by the kindness of Milesius, and because he had not rewarded him as
he ought to have done, he became suspected by him, and so he was obliged
to leave Damascus again; for Milesius caught him marching out into the
Hippodrome, and shut him up in it, and kept Damascus for Antiochus
[Eucerus], who hearing how Philip's affairs stood, came back out of
Arabia. He also came immediately, and made an expedition against Judea,
with eight thousand armed footmen, and eight hundred horsemen. So
Alexander, out of fear of his coming, dug a deep ditch, beginning at
Chabarzaba, which is now called Antipatris, to the sea of Joppa, on
which part only his army could be brought against him. He also raised a
wall, and erected wooden towers, and intermediate redoubts, for one
hundred and fifty furlongs in length, and there expected the coming of
Antiochus; but he soon burnt them all, and made his army pass by that
way into Arabia. The Arabian king [Aretas] at first retreated, but
afterward appeared on the sudden with ten thousand horsemen. Antiochus
gave them the meeting, and fought desperately; and indeed when he had
gotten the victory, and was bringing some auxiliaries to that part of
his army that was in distress, he was slain. When Antiochus was fallen,
his army fled to the village Cana, where the greatest part of them
perished by famine.
2. After him 42 Arems reigned over Celesyria, being called to the
government by those that held Damascus, by reason of the hatred they
bare to Ptolemy Menneus. He also made thence an expedition against
Judea, and beat Alexander in battle, near a place called Adida; yet did
he, upon certain conditions agreed on between them, retire out of Judea.
3. But Alexander marched again to the city Dios, and took it; and then
made an expedition against Essa, where was the best part of Zeno's
treasures, and there he encompassed the place with three walls; and when
he had taken the city by fighting, he marched to Golan and Seleucia; and
when he had taken these cities, he, besides them, took that valley which
is called The Valley of Antiochus, as also the fortress of Gamala. He
also accused Demetrius, who was governor of those places, of many
crimes, and turned him out; and after he had spent three years in this
war, he returned to his own country, when the Jews joyfully received him
upon this his good success.
4. Now at this time the Jews were in possession of the following cities
that had belonged to the Syrians, and Idumeans, and Phoenicians: At the
sea-side, Strato's Tower, Apollonia, Joppa, Jamhis, Ashdod, Gaza,
Anthedon, Raphia, and Rhinocolura; in the middle of the country, near to
Idumea, Adorn, and Marissa; near the country of Samaria, Mount Carmel,
and Mount Tabor, Scythopolis, and Gadara; of the country of Gaulonitis,
Seleucia and Gabala; in the country of Moab, Heshbon, and Medaba, Lemba,
and Oronas, Gelithon, Zorn, the valley of the Cilices, and Pollo; which
last they utterly destroyed, because its inhabitants would not bear to
change their religious rites for those peculiar to the Jews. 43 The Jews
also possessed others of the principal cities of Syria, which had been
destroyed.
5. After this, king Alexander, although he fell into a distemper by hard
drinking, and had a quartan ague, which held him three years, yet would
not leave off going out with his army, till he was quite spent with the
labors he had undergone, and died in the bounds of Ragaba, a fortress
beyond Jordan. But when his queen saw that he was ready to die, and had
no longer any hopes of surviving, she came to him weeping and lamenting,
and bewailed herself and her sons on the desolate condition they should
be left in; and said to him, "To whom dost thou thus leave me and my
children, who are destitute of all other supports, and this when thou
knowest how much ill-will thy nation bears thee?" But he gave her the
following advice: That she need but follow what he would suggest to her,
in order to retain the kingdom securely, with her children: that she
should conceal his death from the soldiers till she should have taken
that place; after this she should go in triumph, as upon a victory, to
Jerusalem, and put some of her authority into the hands of the
Pharisees; for that they would commend her for the honor she had done
them, and would reconcile the nation to her for he told her they had
great authority among the Jews, both to do hurt to such as they hated,
and to bring advantages to those to whom they were friendly disposed;
for that they are then believed best of all by the multitude when they
speak any severe thing against others, though it be only out of envy at
them. And he said that it was by their means that he had incurred the
displeasure of the nation, whom indeed he had injured. "Do thou,
therefore," said he, "when thou art come to Jerusalem, send for the
leading men among them, and show them my body, and with great appearance
of sincerity, give them leave to use it as they themselves please,
whether they will dishonor the dead body by refusing it burial, as
having severely suffered by my means, or whether in their anger they
will offer any other injury to that body. Promise them also that thou
wilt do nothing without them in the affairs of the kingdom. If thou dost
but say this to them, I shall have the honor of a more glorious Funeral
from them than thou couldst have made for me; and when it is in their
power to abuse my dead body, they will do it no injury at all, and thou
wilt rule in safety." 44 So when he had given his wife this advice, he
died, after he had reigned twenty-seven years, and lived fifty years
within one.
brother, aspired to the dominion, and came to Damascus, and got the
power into his hands, and there he reigned; but as he was making war
against the Arabians, his brother Philip heard of it, and came to
Damascus, where Milesius, who had been left governor of the citadel, and
the Damascens themselves, delivered up the city to him; yet because
Philip was become ungrateful to him, and had bestowed upon him nothing
of that in hopes whereof he had received him into the city, but had a
mind to have it believed that it was rather delivered up out of fear
than by the kindness of Milesius, and because he had not rewarded him as
he ought to have done, he became suspected by him, and so he was obliged
to leave Damascus again; for Milesius caught him marching out into the
Hippodrome, and shut him up in it, and kept Damascus for Antiochus
[Eucerus], who hearing how Philip's affairs stood, came back out of
Arabia. He also came immediately, and made an expedition against Judea,
with eight thousand armed footmen, and eight hundred horsemen. So
Alexander, out of fear of his coming, dug a deep ditch, beginning at
Chabarzaba, which is now called Antipatris, to the sea of Joppa, on
which part only his army could be brought against him. He also raised a
wall, and erected wooden towers, and intermediate redoubts, for one
hundred and fifty furlongs in length, and there expected the coming of
Antiochus; but he soon burnt them all, and made his army pass by that
way into Arabia. The Arabian king [Aretas] at first retreated, but
afterward appeared on the sudden with ten thousand horsemen. Antiochus
gave them the meeting, and fought desperately; and indeed when he had
gotten the victory, and was bringing some auxiliaries to that part of
his army that was in distress, he was slain. When Antiochus was fallen,
his army fled to the village Cana, where the greatest part of them
perished by famine.
2. After him 42 Arems reigned over Celesyria, being called to the
government by those that held Damascus, by reason of the hatred they
bare to Ptolemy Menneus. He also made thence an expedition against
Judea, and beat Alexander in battle, near a place called Adida; yet did
he, upon certain conditions agreed on between them, retire out of Judea.
3. But Alexander marched again to the city Dios, and took it; and then
made an expedition against Essa, where was the best part of Zeno's
treasures, and there he encompassed the place with three walls; and when
he had taken the city by fighting, he marched to Golan and Seleucia; and
when he had taken these cities, he, besides them, took that valley which
is called The Valley of Antiochus, as also the fortress of Gamala. He
also accused Demetrius, who was governor of those places, of many
crimes, and turned him out; and after he had spent three years in this
war, he returned to his own country, when the Jews joyfully received him
upon this his good success.
4. Now at this time the Jews were in possession of the following cities
that had belonged to the Syrians, and Idumeans, and Phoenicians: At the
sea-side, Strato's Tower, Apollonia, Joppa, Jamhis, Ashdod, Gaza,
Anthedon, Raphia, and Rhinocolura; in the middle of the country, near to
Idumea, Adorn, and Marissa; near the country of Samaria, Mount Carmel,
and Mount Tabor, Scythopolis, and Gadara; of the country of Gaulonitis,
Seleucia and Gabala; in the country of Moab, Heshbon, and Medaba, Lemba,
and Oronas, Gelithon, Zorn, the valley of the Cilices, and Pollo; which
last they utterly destroyed, because its inhabitants would not bear to
change their religious rites for those peculiar to the Jews. 43 The Jews
also possessed others of the principal cities of Syria, which had been
destroyed.
5. After this, king Alexander, although he fell into a distemper by hard
drinking, and had a quartan ague, which held him three years, yet would
not leave off going out with his army, till he was quite spent with the
labors he had undergone, and died in the bounds of Ragaba, a fortress
beyond Jordan. But when his queen saw that he was ready to die, and had
no longer any hopes of surviving, she came to him weeping and lamenting,
and bewailed herself and her sons on the desolate condition they should
be left in; and said to him, "To whom dost thou thus leave me and my
children, who are destitute of all other supports, and this when thou
knowest how much ill-will thy nation bears thee?" But he gave her the
following advice: That she need but follow what he would suggest to her,
in order to retain the kingdom securely, with her children: that she
should conceal his death from the soldiers till she should have taken
that place; after this she should go in triumph, as upon a victory, to
Jerusalem, and put some of her authority into the hands of the
Pharisees; for that they would commend her for the honor she had done
them, and would reconcile the nation to her for he told her they had
great authority among the Jews, both to do hurt to such as they hated,
and to bring advantages to those to whom they were friendly disposed;
for that they are then believed best of all by the multitude when they
speak any severe thing against others, though it be only out of envy at
them. And he said that it was by their means that he had incurred the
displeasure of the nation, whom indeed he had injured. "Do thou,
therefore," said he, "when thou art come to Jerusalem, send for the
leading men among them, and show them my body, and with great appearance
of sincerity, give them leave to use it as they themselves please,
whether they will dishonor the dead body by refusing it burial, as
having severely suffered by my means, or whether in their anger they
will offer any other injury to that body. Promise them also that thou
wilt do nothing without them in the affairs of the kingdom. If thou dost
but say this to them, I shall have the honor of a more glorious Funeral
from them than thou couldst have made for me; and when it is in their
power to abuse my dead body, they will do it no injury at all, and thou
wilt rule in safety." 44 So when he had given his wife this advice, he
died, after he had reigned twenty-seven years, and lived fifty years
within one.