Antiquities Book 13, Chapter 8
Hyrcanus Receives The High Priesthood, And Ejects Ptolemy Out Of The Country. Antiochus Makes War Against Hyrcanus And Afterwards Makes A League With Him.
1. So Ptolemy retired to one of the fortresses that was above Jericho,
which was called Dagon. But Hyrcanus having taken the high priesthood
that had been his father's before, and in the first place propitiated
God by sacrifices, he then made an expedition against Ptolemy; and when
he made his attacks upon the place, in other points he was too hard for
him, but was rendered weaker than he, by the commiseration he had for
his mother and brethren, and by that only; for Ptolemy brought them upon
the wall, and tormented them in the sight of all, and threatened that he
would throw them down headlong, unless Hyrcanus would leave off the
siege. And as he thought that so far as he relaxed as to the siege and
taking of the place, so much favor did he show to those that were
dearest to him by preventing their misery, his zeal about it was cooled.
However, his mother spread out her hands, and begged of him that he
would not grow remiss on her account, but indulge his indignation so
much the more, and that he would do his utmost to take the place
quickly, in order to get their enemy under his power, and then to avenge
upon him what he had done to those that were dearest to himself; for
that death would be to her sweet, though with torment, if that enemy of
theirs might but be brought to punishment for his wicked dealings to
them. Now when his mother said so, he resolved to take the fortress
immediately; but when he saw her beaten, and torn to pieces, his courage
failed him, and he could not but sympathize with what his mother
suffered, and was thereby overcome. And as the siege was drawn out into
length by this means, that year on which the Jews used to rest came on;
for the Jews observe this rest every seventh year, as they do every
seventh day; so that Ptolemy being for this cause released from the war,
19 he slew the brethren of Hyrcanus, and his mother; and when he had so
done, he fled to Zeno, who was called Cotylas, who was then the tyrant
of the city Philadelphia.
2. But Antiochus, being very uneasy at the miseries that Simon had
brought upon him, he invaded Judea in the fourth years' of his reign,
and the first year of the principality of Hyrcanus, in the hundred and
sixty-second olympiad. 20 And when he had burnt the country, he shut up
Hyrcanus in the city, which he encompassed round with seven encampments;
but did just nothing at the first, because of the strength of the walls,
and because of the valor of the besieged, although they were once in
want of water, which yet they were delivered from by a large shower of
rain, which fell at the setting of the Pleiades 21 However, about the
north part of the wall, where it happened the city was upon a level with
the outward ground, the king raised a hundred towers of three stories
high, and placed bodies of soldiers upon them; and as he made his
attacks every day, he cut a double ditch, deep and broad, and confined
the inhabitants within it as within a wall; but the besieged contrived
to make frequent sallies out; and if the enemy were not any where upon
their guard, they fell upon them, and did them a great deal of mischief;
and if they perceived them, they then retired into the city with ease.
But because Hyrcanus discerned the inconvenience of so great a number of
men in the city, while the provisions were the sooner spent by them, and
yet, as is natural to suppose, those great numbers did nothing, he
separated the useless part, and excluded them out of the city, and
retained that part only which were in the flower of their age, and fit
for war. However, Antiochus would not let those that were excluded go
away, who therefore wandering about between the wails, and consuming
away by famine, died miserably; but when the feast of tabernacles was at
hand, those that were within commiserated their condition, and received
them in again. And when Hyrcanus sent to Antiochus, and desired there
might be a truce for seven days, because of the festival, he gave way to
this piety towards God, and made that truce accordingly. And besides
that, he sent in a magnificent sacrifice, bulls with their horns gilded,
with all sorts of sweet spices, and with cups of gold and silver. 22 So
those that were at the gates received the sacrifices from those that
brought them, and led them to the temple, Antiochus the mean while
feasting his army, which was a quite different conduct from Antiochus
Epiphanes, who, when he had taken the city, offered swine upon the
altar, and sprinkled the temple with the broth of their flesh, in order
to violate the laws of the Jews, and the religion they derived from
their forefathers; for which reason our nation made war with him, and
would never be reconciled to him; but for this Antiochus, all men called
him Antiochus the Pious, for the great zeal he had about religion.
3. Accordingly, Hyrcanus took this moderation of his kindly; and when he
understood how religious he was towards the Deity, he sent an embassage
to him, and desired that he would restore the settlements they received
from their forefathers. So he rejected the counsel of those that would
have him utterly destroy the nation, 23 by reason of their way of
living, which was to others unsociable, and did not regard what they
said. But being persuaded that all they did was out of a religious mind,
he answered the ambassadors, that if the besieged would deliver up their
arms, and pay tribute for Joppa, and the other cities which bordered
upon Judea, and admit a garrison of his, on these terms he would make
war against them no longer. But the Jews, although they were content
with the other conditions, did not agree to admit the garrison, because
they could not associate with other people, nor converse with them; yet
were they willing, instead of the admission of the garrison, to give him
hostages, and five hundred talents of silver; of which they paid down
three hundred, and sent the hostages immediately, which king Antiochus
accepted. One of those hostages was Hyrcanus's brother. But still he
broke down the fortifications that encompassed the city. And upon these
conditions Antiochus broke up the siege, and departed.
4. But Hyrcanus opened the sepulcher of David, who excelled all other
kings in riches, and took out of it three thousand talents. He was also
the first of the Jews that, relying on this wealth, maintained foreign
troops. There was also a league of friendship and mutual assistance made
between them; upon which Hyrcanus admitted him into the city, and
furnished him with whatsoever his army wanted in great plenty, and with
great generosity, and marched along with him when he made an expedition
against the Parthians; of which Nicolaus of Damascus is a witness for
us; who in his history writes thus: "When Antiochus had erected a trophy
at the river Lycus, upon his conquest of Indates, the general of the
Parthians, he staid there two days. It was at the desire of Lyrcanus the
Jew, because it was such a festival derived to them from their
forefathers, whereon the law of the Jews did not allow them to travel."
And truly he did not speak falsely in saying so; for that festival,
which we call Pentecost, did then fall out to be the next day to the
Sabbath. Nor is it lawful for us to journey, either on the Sabbath day,
or on a festival day 24 But when Antiochus joined battle with Arsaces,
the king of Parthia, he lost a great part of his army, and was himself
slain; and his brother Demetrius succeeded in the kingdom of Syria, by
the permission of Arsaces, who freed him from his captivity at the same
time that Antiochus attacked Parthia, as we have formerly related
elsewhere.
which was called Dagon. But Hyrcanus having taken the high priesthood
that had been his father's before, and in the first place propitiated
God by sacrifices, he then made an expedition against Ptolemy; and when
he made his attacks upon the place, in other points he was too hard for
him, but was rendered weaker than he, by the commiseration he had for
his mother and brethren, and by that only; for Ptolemy brought them upon
the wall, and tormented them in the sight of all, and threatened that he
would throw them down headlong, unless Hyrcanus would leave off the
siege. And as he thought that so far as he relaxed as to the siege and
taking of the place, so much favor did he show to those that were
dearest to him by preventing their misery, his zeal about it was cooled.
However, his mother spread out her hands, and begged of him that he
would not grow remiss on her account, but indulge his indignation so
much the more, and that he would do his utmost to take the place
quickly, in order to get their enemy under his power, and then to avenge
upon him what he had done to those that were dearest to himself; for
that death would be to her sweet, though with torment, if that enemy of
theirs might but be brought to punishment for his wicked dealings to
them. Now when his mother said so, he resolved to take the fortress
immediately; but when he saw her beaten, and torn to pieces, his courage
failed him, and he could not but sympathize with what his mother
suffered, and was thereby overcome. And as the siege was drawn out into
length by this means, that year on which the Jews used to rest came on;
for the Jews observe this rest every seventh year, as they do every
seventh day; so that Ptolemy being for this cause released from the war,
19 he slew the brethren of Hyrcanus, and his mother; and when he had so
done, he fled to Zeno, who was called Cotylas, who was then the tyrant
of the city Philadelphia.
2. But Antiochus, being very uneasy at the miseries that Simon had
brought upon him, he invaded Judea in the fourth years' of his reign,
and the first year of the principality of Hyrcanus, in the hundred and
sixty-second olympiad. 20 And when he had burnt the country, he shut up
Hyrcanus in the city, which he encompassed round with seven encampments;
but did just nothing at the first, because of the strength of the walls,
and because of the valor of the besieged, although they were once in
want of water, which yet they were delivered from by a large shower of
rain, which fell at the setting of the Pleiades 21 However, about the
north part of the wall, where it happened the city was upon a level with
the outward ground, the king raised a hundred towers of three stories
high, and placed bodies of soldiers upon them; and as he made his
attacks every day, he cut a double ditch, deep and broad, and confined
the inhabitants within it as within a wall; but the besieged contrived
to make frequent sallies out; and if the enemy were not any where upon
their guard, they fell upon them, and did them a great deal of mischief;
and if they perceived them, they then retired into the city with ease.
But because Hyrcanus discerned the inconvenience of so great a number of
men in the city, while the provisions were the sooner spent by them, and
yet, as is natural to suppose, those great numbers did nothing, he
separated the useless part, and excluded them out of the city, and
retained that part only which were in the flower of their age, and fit
for war. However, Antiochus would not let those that were excluded go
away, who therefore wandering about between the wails, and consuming
away by famine, died miserably; but when the feast of tabernacles was at
hand, those that were within commiserated their condition, and received
them in again. And when Hyrcanus sent to Antiochus, and desired there
might be a truce for seven days, because of the festival, he gave way to
this piety towards God, and made that truce accordingly. And besides
that, he sent in a magnificent sacrifice, bulls with their horns gilded,
with all sorts of sweet spices, and with cups of gold and silver. 22 So
those that were at the gates received the sacrifices from those that
brought them, and led them to the temple, Antiochus the mean while
feasting his army, which was a quite different conduct from Antiochus
Epiphanes, who, when he had taken the city, offered swine upon the
altar, and sprinkled the temple with the broth of their flesh, in order
to violate the laws of the Jews, and the religion they derived from
their forefathers; for which reason our nation made war with him, and
would never be reconciled to him; but for this Antiochus, all men called
him Antiochus the Pious, for the great zeal he had about religion.
3. Accordingly, Hyrcanus took this moderation of his kindly; and when he
understood how religious he was towards the Deity, he sent an embassage
to him, and desired that he would restore the settlements they received
from their forefathers. So he rejected the counsel of those that would
have him utterly destroy the nation, 23 by reason of their way of
living, which was to others unsociable, and did not regard what they
said. But being persuaded that all they did was out of a religious mind,
he answered the ambassadors, that if the besieged would deliver up their
arms, and pay tribute for Joppa, and the other cities which bordered
upon Judea, and admit a garrison of his, on these terms he would make
war against them no longer. But the Jews, although they were content
with the other conditions, did not agree to admit the garrison, because
they could not associate with other people, nor converse with them; yet
were they willing, instead of the admission of the garrison, to give him
hostages, and five hundred talents of silver; of which they paid down
three hundred, and sent the hostages immediately, which king Antiochus
accepted. One of those hostages was Hyrcanus's brother. But still he
broke down the fortifications that encompassed the city. And upon these
conditions Antiochus broke up the siege, and departed.
4. But Hyrcanus opened the sepulcher of David, who excelled all other
kings in riches, and took out of it three thousand talents. He was also
the first of the Jews that, relying on this wealth, maintained foreign
troops. There was also a league of friendship and mutual assistance made
between them; upon which Hyrcanus admitted him into the city, and
furnished him with whatsoever his army wanted in great plenty, and with
great generosity, and marched along with him when he made an expedition
against the Parthians; of which Nicolaus of Damascus is a witness for
us; who in his history writes thus: "When Antiochus had erected a trophy
at the river Lycus, upon his conquest of Indates, the general of the
Parthians, he staid there two days. It was at the desire of Lyrcanus the
Jew, because it was such a festival derived to them from their
forefathers, whereon the law of the Jews did not allow them to travel."
And truly he did not speak falsely in saying so; for that festival,
which we call Pentecost, did then fall out to be the next day to the
Sabbath. Nor is it lawful for us to journey, either on the Sabbath day,
or on a festival day 24 But when Antiochus joined battle with Arsaces,
the king of Parthia, he lost a great part of his army, and was himself
slain; and his brother Demetrius succeeded in the kingdom of Syria, by
the permission of Arsaces, who freed him from his captivity at the same
time that Antiochus attacked Parthia, as we have formerly related
elsewhere.