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[372]
As to Alexander, his own people were seditious against him; for at
a festival which was then celebrated, when he stood upon the altar, and
was going to sacrifice, the nation rose upon him, and pelted him with citrons
[which they then had in their hands, because] the law of the Jews required
that at the feast of tabernacles every one should have branches of the
palm tree and citron tree; which thing we have elsewhere related. They
also reviled him, as derived from a captive, and so unworthy of his dignity
and of sacrificing. At this he was in a rage, and slew of them about six
thousand. He also built a partition-wall of wood round the altar and the
temple, as far as that partition within which it was only lawful for the
priests to enter; and by this means he obstructed the multitude from coming
at him. He also maintained foreigners of Pisidie and Cilicia; for as to
the Syrians, he was at war with them, and so made no use of them. He also
overcame the Arabians, such as the Moabites and Gileadites, and made them
bring tribute. Moreover, he demolished Amathus, while Theodorus 1
durst not fight with him; but as he had joined battle with Obedas, king
of the Arabians, and fell into an ambush in the places that were rugged
and difficult to be traveled over, he was thrown down into a deep valley,
by the multitude of the camels at Gadurn, a village of Gilead, and hardly
escaped with his life. From thence he fled to Jerusalem, where, besides
his other ill success, the nation insulted him, and he fought against them
for six years, and slew no fewer than fifty thousand of them. And when
he desired that they would desist from their ill-will to him, they hated
him so much the more, on account of what had already happened; and when
he had asked them what he ought to do, they all cried out, that he ought
to kill himself. They also sent to Demetrius Eucerus, and desired him to
make a league of mutual defense with them.
2
1 This Theodorus was the son of Zeno, and was in possession of Areathus, as we learn from sect. 3 foregoing.
2 HOW DEMETRIUS EUCERUS OVERCAME ALEXANDER AND YET IN A LITTLE TIME RETIRED OUT OF THE COUNTRY FOR FEAR; AS ALSO HOW ALEXANDER SLEW MANY OF THE JEWS AND THEREBY GOT CLEAR OF HIS TROUBLES. CONCERNING THE DEATH OF DEMETRIUS.
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