Antiquities Book 13, Chapter 9
How, After The Death Of Antiochus, Hyrcanus Made An Expedition Against Syria, And Made A League With The Romans. Concerning The Death Of King Demetrius And Alexander.
1. But when Hyrcanus heard of the death of Antiochus, he presently made
an expedition against the cities of Syria, hoping to find them destitute
of fighting men, and of such as were able to defend them. However, it
was not till the sixth month that he took Medaba, and that not without
the greatest distress of his army. After this he took Samega, and the
neighboring places; and besides these, Shechem and Gerizzim, and the
nation of the Cutheans, who dwelt at the temple which resembled that
temple which was at Jerusalem, and which Alexander permitted Sanballat,
the general of his army, to build for the sake of Manasseh, who was son-
in-law to Jaddua the high priest, as we have formerly related; which
temple was now deserted two hundred years after it was built. Hyrcanus
took also Dora and Marissa, cities of Idumea, and subdued all the
Idumeans; and permitted them to stay in that country, if they would
circumcise their genitals, and make use of the laws of the Jews; and
they were so desirous of living in the country of their forefathers,
that they submitted to the use of circumcision, 25 and of the rest of
the Jewish ways of living; at which time therefore this befell them,
that they were hereafter no other than Jews.
2. But Hyrcanus the high priest was desirous to renew that league of
friendship they had with the Romans. Accordingly, he sent an embassage
to them; and when the senate had received their epistle, they made a
league of friendship with them, after the manner following: "Fanius, the
son of Marcus, the praetor, gathered the senate together on the eighth
day before the Ides of February, in the senate-house, when Lucius
Manlius, the son of Lucius, of the Mentine tribe, and Caius Sempronius,
the son of Caius, of the Falernian tribe, were present. The occasion
was, that the ambassadors sent by the people of the Jews 26 Simon, the
son of Dositheus, and Apollonius, the son of Alexander, and Diodorus,
the son of Jason, who were good and virtuous men, had somewhat to
propose about that league of friendship and mutual assistance which
subsisted between them and the Romans, and about other public affairs,
who desired that Joppa, and the havens, and Gazara, and the springs [of
Jordan], and the several other cities and countries of theirs, which
Antiochus had taken from them in the war, contrary to the decree of the
senate, might be restored to them; and that it might not be lawful for
the king's troops to pass through their country, and the countries of
those that are subject to them; and that what attempts Antiochus had
made during that war, without the decree of the senate, might be made
void; and that they would send ambassadors, who should take care that
restitution be made them of what Antiochus had taken from them, and that
they should make an estimate of the country that had been laid waste in
the war; and that they would grant them letters of protection to the
kings and free people, in order to their quiet return home. It was
therefore decreed, as to these points, to renew their league of
friendship and mutual assistance with these good men, and who were sent
by a good and a friendly people." But as to the letters desired, their
answer was, that the senate would consult about that matter when their
own affairs would give them leave; and that they would endeavor, for the
time to come, that no like injury should be done to them; and that their
praetor Fanius should give them money out of the public treasury to bear
their expenses home. And thus did Fanius dismiss the Jewish ambassadors,
and gave them money out of the public treasury; and gave the decree of
the senate to those that were to conduct them, and to take care that
they should return home in safety.
3. And thus stood the affairs of Hyrcanus the high priest. But as for
king Demetrius, who had a mind to make war against Hyrcanus, there was
no opportunity nor room for it, while both the Syrians and the soldiers
bare ill-will to him, because he was an ill man. But when they had sent
ambassadors to Ptolemy, who was called Physcon, that he would send them
one of the family at Seleueus, in order to take the kingdom, and he had
sent them Alexander, who was called Zebina, with an army, and there had
been a battle between them, Demetrius was beaten in the fight, and fled
to Cleopatra his wife, to Ptolemais; but his wife would not receive him.
He went thence to Tyre, and was there caught; and when he had suffered
much from his enemies before his death, he was slain by them. So
Alexander took the kingdom, and made a league with Hyrcanus, who yet,
when he afterward fought with Antiochus the son of Demetrius, who was
called Grypus, was also beaten in the fight, and slain.
an expedition against the cities of Syria, hoping to find them destitute
of fighting men, and of such as were able to defend them. However, it
was not till the sixth month that he took Medaba, and that not without
the greatest distress of his army. After this he took Samega, and the
neighboring places; and besides these, Shechem and Gerizzim, and the
nation of the Cutheans, who dwelt at the temple which resembled that
temple which was at Jerusalem, and which Alexander permitted Sanballat,
the general of his army, to build for the sake of Manasseh, who was son-
in-law to Jaddua the high priest, as we have formerly related; which
temple was now deserted two hundred years after it was built. Hyrcanus
took also Dora and Marissa, cities of Idumea, and subdued all the
Idumeans; and permitted them to stay in that country, if they would
circumcise their genitals, and make use of the laws of the Jews; and
they were so desirous of living in the country of their forefathers,
that they submitted to the use of circumcision, 25 and of the rest of
the Jewish ways of living; at which time therefore this befell them,
that they were hereafter no other than Jews.
2. But Hyrcanus the high priest was desirous to renew that league of
friendship they had with the Romans. Accordingly, he sent an embassage
to them; and when the senate had received their epistle, they made a
league of friendship with them, after the manner following: "Fanius, the
son of Marcus, the praetor, gathered the senate together on the eighth
day before the Ides of February, in the senate-house, when Lucius
Manlius, the son of Lucius, of the Mentine tribe, and Caius Sempronius,
the son of Caius, of the Falernian tribe, were present. The occasion
was, that the ambassadors sent by the people of the Jews 26 Simon, the
son of Dositheus, and Apollonius, the son of Alexander, and Diodorus,
the son of Jason, who were good and virtuous men, had somewhat to
propose about that league of friendship and mutual assistance which
subsisted between them and the Romans, and about other public affairs,
who desired that Joppa, and the havens, and Gazara, and the springs [of
Jordan], and the several other cities and countries of theirs, which
Antiochus had taken from them in the war, contrary to the decree of the
senate, might be restored to them; and that it might not be lawful for
the king's troops to pass through their country, and the countries of
those that are subject to them; and that what attempts Antiochus had
made during that war, without the decree of the senate, might be made
void; and that they would send ambassadors, who should take care that
restitution be made them of what Antiochus had taken from them, and that
they should make an estimate of the country that had been laid waste in
the war; and that they would grant them letters of protection to the
kings and free people, in order to their quiet return home. It was
therefore decreed, as to these points, to renew their league of
friendship and mutual assistance with these good men, and who were sent
by a good and a friendly people." But as to the letters desired, their
answer was, that the senate would consult about that matter when their
own affairs would give them leave; and that they would endeavor, for the
time to come, that no like injury should be done to them; and that their
praetor Fanius should give them money out of the public treasury to bear
their expenses home. And thus did Fanius dismiss the Jewish ambassadors,
and gave them money out of the public treasury; and gave the decree of
the senate to those that were to conduct them, and to take care that
they should return home in safety.
3. And thus stood the affairs of Hyrcanus the high priest. But as for
king Demetrius, who had a mind to make war against Hyrcanus, there was
no opportunity nor room for it, while both the Syrians and the soldiers
bare ill-will to him, because he was an ill man. But when they had sent
ambassadors to Ptolemy, who was called Physcon, that he would send them
one of the family at Seleueus, in order to take the kingdom, and he had
sent them Alexander, who was called Zebina, with an army, and there had
been a battle between them, Demetrius was beaten in the fight, and fled
to Cleopatra his wife, to Ptolemais; but his wife would not receive him.
He went thence to Tyre, and was there caught; and when he had suffered
much from his enemies before his death, he was slain by them. So
Alexander took the kingdom, and made a league with Hyrcanus, who yet,
when he afterward fought with Antiochus the son of Demetrius, who was
called Grypus, was also beaten in the fight, and slain.