the antiquities of the jews-1-第156章

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against　it。　And　had　it　not　been　our　practice；　from　the　days　of
our　forefathers；　to　rest　on　the　seventh　day；　this　bank　could
never　have　been　perfected；　by　reason　of　the　opposition　the　Jews
would　have　made；　for　though　our　law　gives　us　leave　then　to　defend
ourselves　against　those　that　begin　to　fight　with　us　and　assault
us；　yet　does　it　not　permit　us　to　meddle　with　our　enemies　while
they　do　any　thing　else。

3。　Which　thing　when　the　Romans　understood；　on　those　days　which　we
call　Sabbaths　they　threw　nothing　at　the　Jews；　nor　came　to　any
pitched　battle　with　them；　but　raised　up　their　earthen　banks；　and
brought　their　engines　into　such　forwardness；　that　they　might　do
execution　the　next　day。　And　any　one　may　hence　learn　how　very
great　piety　we　exercise　towards　God；　and　the　observance　of　his
laws；　since　the　priests　were　not　at　all　hindered　from　their
sacred　ministrations　by　their　fear　during　this　siege；　but　did
still　twice　a…day；　in　the　morning　and　about　the　ninth　hour；　offer
their　sacrifices　on　the　altar；　nor　did　they　omit　those
sacrifices；　if　any　melancholy　accident　happened　by　the　stones
that　were　thrown　among　them；　for　although　the　city　was　taken　on
the　third　month；　on　the　day　of　the　fast；　（6）　upon　the　hundred　and
seventy…ninth　olympiad；　when　Caius　Antonius　and　Marcus　Tullius
Cicero　were　consuls；　and　the　enemy　then　fell　upon　them；　and　cut
the　throats　of　those　that　were　in　the　temple；　yet　could　not　those
that　offered　the　sacrifices　be　compelled　to　run　away；　neither　by
the　fear　they　were　in　of　their　own　lives；　nor　by　the　number　that
were　already　slain；　as　thinking　it　better　to　suffer　whatever　came
upon　them；　at　their　very　altars；　than　to　omit　any　thing　that
their　laws　required　of　them。　And　that　this　is　not　a　mere　brag；　or
an　encomium　to　manifest　a　degree　of　our　piety　that　was　false；　but
is　the　real　truth；　I　appeal　to　those　that　have　written　of　the
acts　of　Pompey；　and；　among　them；　to　Strabo　and　Nicolaus　＇of
Damascus＇；　and　besides　these　two；　Titus　Livius；　the　writer　of　the
Roman　History；　who　will　bear　witness　to　this　thing。　（7）

4。　But　when　the　battering…engine　was　brought　near；　the　greatest
of　the　towers　was　shaken　by　it；　and　fell　down；　and　broke　down　a
part　of　the　fortifications；　so　the　enemy　poured　in　apace；　and
Cornelius　Faustus；　the　son　of　Sylla；　with　his　soldiers；　first　of
all　ascended　the　wall；　and　next　to　him　Furius　the　centurion；　with
those　that　followed　on　the　other　part；　while　Fabius；　who　was　also
a　centurion；　ascended　it　in　the　middle；　with　a　great　body　of　men
after　him。　But　now　all　was　full　of　slaughter；　some　of　the　Jews
being　slain　by　the　Romans；　and　some　by　one　another；　nay；　some
there　were　who　threw　themselves　down　the　precipices；　or　put　fire
to　their　houses；　and　burnt　them；　as　not　able　to　bear　the　miseries
they　were　under。　Of　the　Jews　there　fell　twelve　thousand；　but　of
the　Romans　very　few。　Absalom；　who　was　at　once　both　uncle　and
father…in…law　to　Aristobulus；　was　taken　captive；　and　no　small
enormities　were　committed　about　the　temple　itself；　which；　in
former　ages；　had　been　inaccessible；　and　seen　by　none；　for　Pompey
went　into　it；　and　not　a　few　of　those　that　were　with　him　also；　and
saw　all　that　which　it　was　unlawful　for　any　other　men　to　see　but
only　for　the　high　priests。　There　were　in　that　temple　the　golden
table；　the　holy　candlestick；　and　the　pouring　vessels；　and　a　great
quantity　of　spices；　and　besides　these　there　were　among　the
treasures　two　thousand　talents　of　sacred　money：　yet　did　Pompey
touch　nothing　of　all　this；　（8）　on　account　of　his　regard　to
religion；　and　in　this　point　also　he　acted　in　a　manner　that　was
worthy　of　his　virtue。　The　next　day　he　gave　order　to　those　that
had　the　charge　of　the　temple　to　cleanse　it；　and　to　bring　what
offerings　the　law　required　to　God；　and　restored　the　high
priesthood　to　Hyrcanus；　both　because　he　had　been　useful　to　him　in
other　respects；　and　because　he　hindered　the　Jews　in　the　country
from　giving　Aristobulus　any　assistance　in　his　war　against　him。　He
also　cut　off　those　that　had　been　the　authors　of　that　war；　and
bestowed　proper　rewards　on　Faustus；　and　those　others　that　mounted
the　wall　with　such　alacrity；　and　he　made　Jerusalem　tributary　to
the　Romans；　and　took　away　those　cities　of　Celesyria　which　the
inhabitants　of　Judea　had　subdued；　and　put　them　under　the
government　of　the　Roman　president；　and　confined　the　whole　nation；
which　had　elevated　itself　so　high　before；　within　its　own　bounds。
Moreover；　he　rebuilt　Gadara；　（9）　which　had　been　demolished　a
little　before；　to　gratify　Demetrius　of　Gadara；　who　was　his
freedman；　and　restored　the　rest　of　the　cities；　Hippos；　and
Scythopolis；　and　Pella；　and　Dios；　and　Samaria；　as　also　Marissa；
and　Ashdod；　and　Jamnia；　and　Arethusa；　to　their　own　inhabitants：
these　were　in　the　inland　parts。　Besides　those　that　had　been
demolished；　and　also　of　the　maritime　cities；　Gaza；　and　Joppa；　and
Dora；　and　Strato's　Tower；　which　last　Herod　rebuilt　after　a
glorious　manner；　and　adorned　with　havens　and　temples；　and　changed
its　name　to　Caesarea。　All　these　Pompey　left　in　a　state　of
freedom；　and　joined　them　to　the　province　of　Syria。

5。　Now　the　occasions　of　this　misery　which　came　upon　Jerusalem
were　Hyrcanus　and　Aristobulus；　by　raising　a　sedition　one　against
the　other；　for　now　we　lost　our　liberty；　and　became　subject　to　the
Romans；　and　were　deprived　of　that　country　which　we　had　gained　by
our　arms　from　the　Syrians；　and　were　compelled　to　restore　it　to
the　Syrians。　Moreover；　the　Romans　exacted　of　us；　in　a　little
time；　above　ten　thousand　talents；　and　the　royal　authority；　which
was　a　dignity　formerly　bestowed　on　those　that　were　high　priests；
by　the　right　of　their　family；　became　the　property　of　private　men。
But　of　these　matters　we　shall　treat　in　their　proper　places。　Now
Pompey　committed　Celesyria；　as　far　as　the　river　Euphrates　and
Egypt；　to　Scaurus；　with　two　Roman　legions；　and　then　went　away　to
Cilicia；　and　made　haste　to　Rome。　He　also　carried　bound　along　with
him　Aristobulus　and　his　children；　for　he　had　two　daughters；　and
as　many　sons；　the　one　of　which　ran　away；　but　the　younger；
Antigonus；　was　carried　to　Rome；　together　with　his　sisters。

CHAPTER　5。

How　Scaurus　Made　A　League　Of　Mutual　Assistance　With　Aretas；　And
What　Gabinius　Did　In　Judea；　After　He　Had　Conquered　Alexander；　The
Son　Of　Aristobulus。

1。　Scaurus　made　now　an　expedition　against　Petrea；　in　Arabia；　and
set　on　fire　all　the　places　round　about　it；　because　of　the　great
difficulty　of　access　to　it。　And　as　his　army　was　pinched　by
famine；　Antipater　furnished　him　with　corn　out　of　Judea；　and　with
whatever　else　he　wanted；　and　this　at　the　command　of　Hyrcanus。　And
when　he　was　sent　to　Aretas；　as　an　ambassador　by　Scaurus；　because
he　had　lived　with　him　formerly；　he　persuaded　Aretas　to　give
Scaurus　a　sum　of　money；　to　prevent　the　burning　of　his　country；
and　undertook　to　be　his　surety　for　three　hundred　talents。　So
Scaurus；　upon　these　terms；　ceased　to　make　war　any　longer；　which
was　done　as　much　at　Scaurus's　desire；　as　at　the　desire　of　Aretas。

2。　Some　time　after　this；　when　Alexander；　the　son　of　Aristobulus；
made　an　incursion　into　Judea；　Gabinius　came　from　Rome　into　Syria；
as　commander　of　the　Roman　forces。　He　did　many　considerable
actions；　and　particularly　made　war　with　Alexander；　since　Hyrcanus
was　not　yet　able　to　oppose　his　power；　but　was　already　attempting
to　rebuild　the　wall　of　Jerusalem；　which　Pompey　had　overthrown；
although　the　Romans　which　were　there　restrained　him　from　that　his
design。　However；　Alexander　went　over　all　the　country　round　about；
and　armed　many　of　the　Jews；　and　suddenly　got　together　ten
thousand　armed　footmen；　and　fifteen　hundred　horsemen；　and
fortified　Alexandrium；　a　fortress　near　to　Corem；　and　Macherus；
near　the　mountains　of　Arabia。　Gabinius　therefore　came　upon　him；
having　sent　Marcus　Antonius；　with　other　commanders；　before。　These
armed　such　Romans　as　followed　them；　and；　together　with　them；　such
Jews　as　were　subject　to　them；　whose　leaders　were　Pitholaus　and
Malichus；　and　they　took　with　them　also　their　friends　that　were
with　Antipater；　and　met　Alexander；　while　Gabinius　himself
followed　with　his　legion。　Hereupon　Alexander　retired　to　the
neighborhood　of　Jerusalem；　where　they　fell　upon　one　another；　and
it　came　to　a　pitched　battle；　in　which　the　Romans　slew　of　their
enemies　about　three　thousand；　and　took　a　like　number　alive。

3。　At　which　time　Gabinius　（10）　came　to　Alexandrium；　and　invited
those　that　were　in　it　to　deliver　it　up　on　certain　conditions；　and
promised　that　then　their　former　offenses　should　be　forgiven。　But
as　a　great　number　of　the　enemy　had　pitched　their　camp　before　the
fortress；　whom　the　Romans　attacked；　Marcus　Antonius　fought
bravely；　and　slew　a　great　number；　and　seemed　to　come　off　with　the
greatest　honor。　So　Gabinius　left　part　of　his　army　there；　in　order
to　take　the　place；　and　he　himself　went　into　other　parts　of　Judea；
and　gave　order　to　rebuild　all　the　cities　that　he　met　with　that
had　been　demolished；　at　which　time　were　rebuilt　Samaria；　Ashdod；
Scythopolis；　Anthedon；　Raphia；　and　Dora；　Marissa　also；　and　Gaza；
and　not　a　few　others　besides。　And　as　the　men　acted　according　to
Gabinius's　command；　it　came　to　pass；　that　at　this　time　these
cities　were　securely　inhabited；　which　had　been　desolate　for　a
long　time。

4。　When　Gabinius　had　done　thus　in　the　country；　he　returned　to
Alexandrium；　and　when　he　urged　on　the　siege　of　the　place；
Alexander　sent　an　embassage　to　him；　desiring　that　he　would　pardon
his　former　offenses；　he　also　delivered　up　the　fortresses；
Hyrcania　and　Macherus；　and　at　last　Alexandrium　itself　which
fortresses　Gabinius　demolished。　But　when　Alexander's　mother；　who
was　of　the　side　of　the　Romans；　as　having　her　husband　and　other
children　at　Rome；　came　to　him；　he　granted　her　whatsoever　she
asked；　and　when　he　had　settled　matters　with　her；　he　brought
Hyrcanus　to　Jerusalem；　and　committed　the　care　of　the　temple　to
him。　And　when　he　had　ordained　five　councils；　he　distributed　the
nation　into　the　same　number　of　parts。　So　these　councils　governed
the　people；　the　first　was　at　Jerusalem；　the　second　at　Gadara；　the
third　at　Amathus；　the　fourth　at　Jericho；　and　the　fifth　at
Sepphoris　in　Galilee。　So　the　Jews　were　now　freed　from　monarchic
authority；　and　were　governed　by　an　aristocracy。

CHAPTER　6。

How　Gabinius　Caught　Aristobulus　After　He　Had　Fled　From　Rome；　And
Sent　Him　Back　To　Rome　Again；　And　Now　The　Same　Gabinius　As　He
Returned　Out　Of　Egypt　Overcame　Alexander　And　The　Nabateans　In
Battle。

1。　Now　Aristobulus　ran　away　from　Rome　to　Judea；　and　set　about　the
rebuilding　of　Alexandrium；　which　had　been　newly　demolished。
Hereupon　Gabinius　sent　soldiers　against　him；　add　for　their
commanders　Sisenna；　and　Antonius；　and　Servilius；　in　order　to
hinder　him　from　getting　possession　of　the　country；　and　to　take
him　again。　And　indeed　many　of　the　Jews　ran　to　Aristobulus；　on
account　of　his　former　glory；　as　also　because　they　should　be　glad
of　an　innovation。　Now　there　was　one　Pitholaus；　a　lieutenant　at
Jerusalem；　who　deserted　to　him　with　a　thousand　men；　although　a
great　number　of　those　that　came　to　him　were　unarmed；　and　when
Aristobulus　had　resolved　to　go　to　Macherus；　he　dismissed　those
people；　because　they　were　unarmed；　for　they　could　not　be　useful
to　him　in　what　actions　he　was　going　about；　but　he　took