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WHEN Antiochus had taken the kingdom, he was afraid to make war against
Judea, because he heard that his brother by the same mother, who was also
called Antiochus, was raising an army against him out of Cyzicum; so he
staid in his own land, and resolved to prepare himself for the attack he
expected from his brother, who was called Cyzicenus, because he had been
brought up in that city. He was the son of Antiochus that was called Soter,
who died in Parthia. He was the brother of Demetrius, the father of Grypus;
for it had so happened, that one and the same Cleopatra was married to
two who were brethren, as we have related elsewhere. But Antiochus Cyzicenus
coming into Syria, continued many years at war with his brother. Now Hyrcanus
lived all this while in peace; for after the death of Antlochus, he revolted
from the Macedonians,
2
nor did he any longer pay them the least regard, either as their subject
or their friend; but his affairs were in a very improving and flourishing
condition in the times of Alexander Zebina, and especially under these
brethren, for the war which they had with one another gave Hyrcanus the
opportunity of enjoying himself in Judea quietly, insomuch that he got
an immense quantity of money. How ever, when Antiochus Cyzicenus distressed
his land, he then openly showed what he meant. And when he saw that Antiochus
was destitute of Egyptian auxiliaries, and that both he and his brother
were in an ill condition in the struggles they had one with another, he
despised them both.
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So he made an expedition against Samaria which was a very strong
city; of whose present name Sebaste, and its rebuilding by Herod, we shall
speak at a proper time; but he made his attack against it, and besieged
it with a great deal of pains; for he was greatly displeased with the Samaritans
for the injuries they had done to the people of Merissa, a colony of the
Jews, and confederate with them, and this in compliance to the kings of
Syria. When he had therefore drawn a ditch, and built a double wall round
the city, which was fourscore furlongs long, he set his sons Antigonus
and Arisrobulna over the siege; which brought the Samaritans to that great
distress by famine, that they were forced to eat what used not to be eaten,
and to call for Antiochus Cyzicenus to help them, who came readily to their
assistance, but was beaten by Aristobulus; and when he was pursued as far
as Scythopolis by the two brethren, he got away. So they returned to Samaria,
and shut them again within the wall, till they were forced to send for
the same Antiochus a second time to help them, who procured about six thousand
men from Ptolemy Lathyrus, which were sent them without his mother's consent,
who had then in a manner turned him out of his government. With these Egyptians
Antiochus did at first overrun and ravage the country of Hyrcanus after
the manner of a robber, for he durst not meet him in the face to fight
with him, as not having an army sufficient for that purpose, but only from
this supposal, that by thus harassing his land he should force Hyrcanus
to raise the siege of Samaria; but because he fell into snares, and lost
many of his soldiers therein, he went away to Tripoli, and committed the
prosecution of the war against the Jews to Callimander and Epicrates.
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But as to Callimander, he attacked the enemy too rashly, and was
put to flight, and destroyed immediately; and as to Epicrates, he was such
a lover of money, that he openly betrayed Scythopolis, and other places
near it, to the Jews, but was not able to make them raise the siege of
Samaria. And when Hyrcanus had taken that city, which was not done till
after a year's siege, he was not contented with doing that only, but he
demolished it entirely, and brought rivulets to it to drown it, for he
dug such hollows as might let the water run under it; nay, he took away
the very marks that there had ever been such a city there. Now a very surprising
thing is related of this high priest Hyrcanus, how God came to discourse
with him; for they say that on the very same day on which his sons fought
with Antiochus Cyzicenus, he was alone in the temple, as high priest, offering
incense, and heard a voice, that his sons had just then overcome Antiochus.
And this he openly declared before all the multitude upon his coming out
of the temple; and it accordingly proved true; and in this posture were
the affairs of Hyrcanus.
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Now it happened at this time, that not only those Jews who were at
Jerusalem and in Judea were in prosperity, but also those of them that
were at Alexandria, and in Egypt and Cyprus; for Cleopatra the queen was
at variance with her son Ptolemy, who was called Lathyrus, and appointed
for her generals Chelcias and Ananias, the sons of that Onias who built
the temple in the prefecture of Heliopolis, like to that at Jerusalem,
as we have elsewhere related. Cleopatra intrusted these men with her army,
and did nothing without their advice, as Strabo of Cappadocia attests,
when he saith thus, "Now the greater part, both those that came to
Cyprus with us, and those that were sent afterward thither, revolted to
Ptolemy immediately; only those that were called Onias's party, being Jews,
continued faithful, because their countrymen Chelcias and Ananias were
in chief favor with the queen." These are the words of Strabo.
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However, this prosperous state of affairs moved the Jews to envy
Hyrcanus; but they that were the worst disposed to him were the Pharisees,
3
who were one of the sects of the Jews, as we have informed you already.
These have so great a power over the multitude, that when they say any
thing against the king, or against the high priest, they are presently
believed. Now Hyrcanus was a disciple of theirs, and greatly beloved by
them. And when he once invited them to a feast, and entertained them very
kindly, when he saw them in a good humor, he began to say to them, that
they knew he was desirous to be a righteous man, and to do all things whereby
he might please God, which was the profession of the Pharisees also. However,
he desired, that if they observed him offending in any point, and going
out of the right way, they would call him back and correct him. On which
occasion they attested to his being entirely virtuous; with which commendation
he was well pleased. But still there was one of his guests there, whose
name was Eleazar, a man of an ill temper, and delighting in seditious practices.
This man said," Since thou desirest to know the truth, if thou wilt
be righteous in earnest, lay down the high priesthood, and content thyself
with the civil government of the people," And when he desired to know
for what cause he ought to lay down the high priesthood, the other replied,
"We have heard it from old men, that thy mother had been a captive
under the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes.
"This story was false, and Hyrcanus was provoked against him; and
all the Pharisees had a very great indignation against him.
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Now there was one Jonathan, a very great friend of Hyrcanus's, but
of the sect of the Sadducees, whose notions are quite contrary to those
of the Pharisees. He told Hyrcanus that Eleazar had cast such a reproach
upon him, according to the common sentiments of all the Pharisees, and
that this would be made manifest if he would but ask them the question,
What punishment they thought this man deserved? for that he might depend
upon it, that the reproach was not laid on him with their approbation,
if they were for punishing him as his crime deserved. So the Pharisees
made answer, that he deserved stripes and bonds, but that it did not seem
right to punish reproaches with death. And indeed the Pharisees, even upon
other occasions, are not apt to be severe in punishments. At this gentle
sentence, Hyrcanus was very angry, and thought that this man reproached
him by their approbation. It was this Jonathan who chiefly irritated him,
and influenced him so far, that he made him leave the party of the Pharisees,
and abolish the decrees they had imposed on the people, and to punish those
that observed them. From this source arose that hatred which he and his
sons met with from the multitude: but of these matters we shall speak hereafter.
What I would now explain is this, that the Pharisees have delivered to
the people a great many observances by succession from their fathers, which
are not written in the laws of Moses; and for that reason it is that the
Sadducees reject them, and say that we are to esteem those observances
to be obligatory which are in the written word, but are not to observe
what are derived from the tradition of our forefathers. And concerning
these things it is that great disputes and differences have arisen among
them, while the Sadducees are able to persuade none but the rich, and have
not the populace obsequious to them, but the Pharisees have the multitude
on their side. But about these two sects, and that of the Essens, I have
treated accurately in the second book of Jewish affairs.
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But when Hyrcanus had put an end to this sedition, he after that
lived happily, and administered the government in the best manner for thirty-one
years, and then died,
4
leaving behind him five sons. He was esteemed by God worthy of three of
the greatest privileges, - the government of his nation, the dignity of
the high priesthood, and prophecy; for God was with him, and enabled him
to know futurities; and to foretell this in particular, that, as to his
two eldest sons, he foretold that they would not long continue in the government
of public affairs; whose unhappy catastrophe will be worth our description,
that we may thence learn how very much they were inferior to their father's
happiness.