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[245]
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, 1
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.
1 This account in Josephus, that the present Antiochus was persuaded, though in vain, not to make peace with the Jews, but to cut them off utterly, is fully confirmed by Diodorus Siculus, in Photiua's extracts out of his 34th Book.
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