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[380]
When Herod had encouraged them by this speech, and he saw with what
alacrity they went, he offered sacrifice to God; and after that sacrifice,
he passed over the river Jordan with his army, and pitched his camp about
Philadelphia, near the enemy, and about a fortification that lay between
them. He then shot at them at a distance, and was desirous to come to an
engagement presently; for some of them had been sent beforehand to seize
upon that fortification: but the king sent some who immediately beat them
out of the fortification, while he himself went in the forefront of the
army, which he put in battle-array every day, and invited the Arabians
to fight. But as none of them came out of their camp, for they were in
a terrible fright, and their general, Elthemus, was not able to say a word
for fear, - so Herod came upon them, and pulled their fortification to
pieces, by which means they were compelled to come out to fight, which
they did in disorder, and so that the horsemen and foot-men were mixed
together. They were indeed superior to the Jews in number, but inferior
in their alacrity, although they were obliged to expose themselves to danger
by their very despair of victory.
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