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[14]
But when Hyrcanus was brought into Parthia the king Phraates treated
him after a very gentle manner, as having already learned of what an illustrious
family he was; on which account he set him free from his bonds, and gave
him a habitation at Babylon, 1
where there were Jews in great numbers. These Jews honored Hyrcanus as
their high priest and king, as did all the Jewish nation that dwelt as
far as Euphrates; which respect was very much to his satisfaction. But
when he was informed that Herod had received the kingdom, new hopes came
upon him, as having been himself still of a kind disposition towards him,
and expecting that Herod would bear in mind what favor be had received
from him; and when he was upon his trial, and when he was in danger that
a capital sentence would be pronounced against him, he delivered him from
that danger, and from all punishment. Accordingly, he talked of that matter
with the Jew that came often to him with great affection; but they endeavored
to retain him among them, and desired that he would stay with them, putting
him in mind of the kind offices and honors they did him, and that those
honors they paid him were not at all inferior to what they could pay to
either their high priests or their kings; and what was a greater motive
to determine him, they said, was this, that he could not have those dignities
[in Judea] because of that maim in his body, which had been inflicted on
him by Antigonus; and that kings do not use to requite men for those kindnesses
which they received when they were private persons, the height of their
fortune making usually no small changes in them.
1 The city here called "Babylon" by Josephus, seems to be one which was built by some of the Seleucidae upon the Tigris, which long after the utter desolation of old Babylon was commonly so called, and I suppose not far from Seleueia; just as the latter adjoining city Bagdat has been and is often called by the same old name of Babylon till this very day.
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