Antiquities Book 14, Chapter 2
How Aretas And Hyrcanus Made An Expedition Against Aristobulus And Besieged Jerusalem; And How Scaurus The Roman General Raised The Siege. Concerning The Death Of Onias.
1. After these promises had been given to Aretas, he made an expedition
against Aristobulus with an army of fifty thousand horse and foot, and
beat him in the battle. And when after that victory many went over to
Hyrcanus as deserters, Aristobulus was left desolate, and fled to
Jerusalem; upon which the king of Arabia took all his army, and made an
assault upon the temple, and besieged Aristobulus therein, the people
still supporting Hyrcanus, and assisting him in the siege, while none
but the priests continued with Aristobulus. So Aretas united the forces
of the Arabians and of the Jews together, and pressed on the siege
vigorously. As this happened at the time when the feast of unleavened
bread was celebrated, which we call the passover, the principal men
among the Jews left the country, and fled into Egypt. Now there was one,
whose name was Onias, a righteous man he was, and beloved of God, who,
in a certain drought, had prayed to God to put an end to the intense
heat, and whose prayers God had heard, and had sent them rain. This man
had hid himself, because he saw that this sedition would last a great
while. However, they brought him to the Jewish camp, and desired, that
as by his prayers he had once put an end to the drought, so he would in
like manner make imprecations on Aristobulus and those of his faction.
And when, upon his refusal, and the excuses that he made, he was still
by the multitude compelled to speak, he stood up in the midst of them,
and said, "O God, the King of the whole world! since those that stand
now with me are thy people, and those that are besieged are also thy
priests, I beseech thee, that thou wilt neither hearken to the prayers
of those against these, nor bring to effect what these pray against
those." Whereupon such wicked Jews as stood about him, as soon as he had
made this prayer, stoned him to death.
2. But God punished them immediately for this their barbarity, and took
vengeance of them for the murder of Onias, in the manner following:
While the priests and Aristobulus were besieged, it happened that the
feast called the passover was come, at which it is our custom to offer a
great number of sacrifices to God; but those that were with Aristobulus
wanted sacrifices, and desired that their countrymen without would
furnish them with such sacrifices, and assured them they should have as
much money for them as they should desire; and when they required them
to pay a thousand drachmae for each head of cattle, Aristobulus and the
priests willingly undertook to pay for them accordingly, and those
within let down the money over the walls, and gave it them. But when the
others had received it, they did not deliver the sacrifices, but arrived
at that height of wickedness as to break the assurances they had given,
and to be guilty of impiety towards God, by not furnishing those that
wanted them with sacrifices. And when the priests found they had been
cheated, and that the agreements they had made were violated, they
prayed to God that he would avenge them on their countrymen. Nor did he
delay that their punishment, but sent a strong and vehement storm of
wind, that destroyed the fruits of the whole country, till a modius of
wheat was then bought for eleven drachmae.
3. In the mean time Pompey sent Scaurus into Syria, while he was himself
in Armenia, and making war with Tigranes; but when Scaurus was come to
Damascus, and found that Lollins and Metellus had newly taken the city,
he came himself hastily into Judea. And when he was come thither,
ambassadors came to him, both from Aristobulus and Hyrcanus, and both
desired he would assist them. And when both of them promised to give him
money, Aristobulus four hundred talents, and Hyrcanus no less, he
accepted of Aristobulus's promise, for he was rich, and had a great
soul, and desired to obtain nothing but what was moderate; whereas the
other was poor, and tenacious, and made incredible promises in hopes of
greater advantages; for it was not the same thing to take a city that
was exceeding strong and powerful, as it was to eject out of the country
some fugitives, with a greater number of Mabateans, who were no very
warlike people. He therefore made an agreement with Aristobulus, for the
reasons before mentioned, and took his money, and raised the siege, and
ordered Aretas to depart, or else he should be declared an enemy to the
Romans. So Scaurus returned to Damascus again; and Aristobulus, with a
great army, made war with Aretas and Hyrcanus, and fought them at a
place called Papyron, and beat them in the battle, and slew about six
thousand of the enemy, with whom fell Phalion also, the brother of
Antipater.
against Aristobulus with an army of fifty thousand horse and foot, and
beat him in the battle. And when after that victory many went over to
Hyrcanus as deserters, Aristobulus was left desolate, and fled to
Jerusalem; upon which the king of Arabia took all his army, and made an
assault upon the temple, and besieged Aristobulus therein, the people
still supporting Hyrcanus, and assisting him in the siege, while none
but the priests continued with Aristobulus. So Aretas united the forces
of the Arabians and of the Jews together, and pressed on the siege
vigorously. As this happened at the time when the feast of unleavened
bread was celebrated, which we call the passover, the principal men
among the Jews left the country, and fled into Egypt. Now there was one,
whose name was Onias, a righteous man he was, and beloved of God, who,
in a certain drought, had prayed to God to put an end to the intense
heat, and whose prayers God had heard, and had sent them rain. This man
had hid himself, because he saw that this sedition would last a great
while. However, they brought him to the Jewish camp, and desired, that
as by his prayers he had once put an end to the drought, so he would in
like manner make imprecations on Aristobulus and those of his faction.
And when, upon his refusal, and the excuses that he made, he was still
by the multitude compelled to speak, he stood up in the midst of them,
and said, "O God, the King of the whole world! since those that stand
now with me are thy people, and those that are besieged are also thy
priests, I beseech thee, that thou wilt neither hearken to the prayers
of those against these, nor bring to effect what these pray against
those." Whereupon such wicked Jews as stood about him, as soon as he had
made this prayer, stoned him to death.
2. But God punished them immediately for this their barbarity, and took
vengeance of them for the murder of Onias, in the manner following:
While the priests and Aristobulus were besieged, it happened that the
feast called the passover was come, at which it is our custom to offer a
great number of sacrifices to God; but those that were with Aristobulus
wanted sacrifices, and desired that their countrymen without would
furnish them with such sacrifices, and assured them they should have as
much money for them as they should desire; and when they required them
to pay a thousand drachmae for each head of cattle, Aristobulus and the
priests willingly undertook to pay for them accordingly, and those
within let down the money over the walls, and gave it them. But when the
others had received it, they did not deliver the sacrifices, but arrived
at that height of wickedness as to break the assurances they had given,
and to be guilty of impiety towards God, by not furnishing those that
wanted them with sacrifices. And when the priests found they had been
cheated, and that the agreements they had made were violated, they
prayed to God that he would avenge them on their countrymen. Nor did he
delay that their punishment, but sent a strong and vehement storm of
wind, that destroyed the fruits of the whole country, till a modius of
wheat was then bought for eleven drachmae.
3. In the mean time Pompey sent Scaurus into Syria, while he was himself
in Armenia, and making war with Tigranes; but when Scaurus was come to
Damascus, and found that Lollins and Metellus had newly taken the city,
he came himself hastily into Judea. And when he was come thither,
ambassadors came to him, both from Aristobulus and Hyrcanus, and both
desired he would assist them. And when both of them promised to give him
money, Aristobulus four hundred talents, and Hyrcanus no less, he
accepted of Aristobulus's promise, for he was rich, and had a great
soul, and desired to obtain nothing but what was moderate; whereas the
other was poor, and tenacious, and made incredible promises in hopes of
greater advantages; for it was not the same thing to take a city that
was exceeding strong and powerful, as it was to eject out of the country
some fugitives, with a greater number of Mabateans, who were no very
warlike people. He therefore made an agreement with Aristobulus, for the
reasons before mentioned, and took his money, and raised the siege, and
ordered Aretas to depart, or else he should be declared an enemy to the
Romans. So Scaurus returned to Damascus again; and Aristobulus, with a
great army, made war with Aretas and Hyrcanus, and fought them at a
place called Papyron, and beat them in the battle, and slew about six
thousand of the enemy, with whom fell Phalion also, the brother of
Antipater.