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[275]
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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