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[307]
Aristobulus yielded to these imputations, but took care both that
his brother should not suspect him, and that he himself might not run the
hazard of his own safety; so he ordered his guards to lie in a certain
place that was under ground, and dark; (he himself then lying sick in the
tower which was called Antonia;) and he commanded them, that in case Antigonus
came in to him unarmed, they should not touch any body, but if armed, they
should kill him; yet did he send to Antigonus, and desired that he would
come unarmed; but the queen, and those that joined with her in the plot
against Antigonus, persuaded the messenger to tell him the direct contrary:
how his brother had heard that he had made himself a fine suit of armor
for war, and desired him to come to him in that armor, that he might see
how fine it was. So Antigonus suspecting no treachery, but depending on
the good-will of his brother, came to Aristobulus armed, as he used to
be, with his entire armor, in order to show it to him; but when he was
come to a place which was called Strato's Tower, where the passage happened
to be exceeding dark, the guards slew him; which death of his demonstrates
that nothing is stronger than envy and calumny, and that nothing does more
certainly divide the good-will and natural affections of men than those
passions. But here one may take occasion to wonder at one Judas, who was
of the sect of the Essens, 1
and who never missed the truth in his predictions; for this man, when he
saw Antigonus passing by the temple, cried out to his companions and friends,
who abode with him as his scholars, in order to learn the art of foretelling
things to come?" That it was good for him to die now, since he had
spoken falsely about Antigonus, who is still alive, and I see him passing
by, although he had foretold he should die at the place called Strato's
Tower that very day, while yet the place is six hundred furlongs off, where
he had foretold he should be slain; and still this day is a great part
of it already past, so that he was in danger of proving a false prophet."
As he was saying this, and that in a melancholy mood, the news came that
Antigonus was slain in a place under ground, which itself was called also
Strato's Tower, or of the same name with that Cesarea which is seated at
the sea. This event put the prophet into a great disorder.
1 Hence we learn that the Essens pretended to have ruled whereby men might foretell things to come, and that this Judas the Essen taught those rules to his scholars; but whether their pretense were of an astrological or magical nature, which yet in such religious Jews, who were utterly forbidden such arts, is no way probable, or to any Bath Col, spoken of by the later Rabbins, or otherwise, I cannot tell. See Of the War, B. II. ch. 8. sect. 12.
Flavius Josephus. The Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by. William Whiston, A.M. Auburn and Buffalo. John E. Beardsley. 1895.
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