THE WARS OF THE JEWS
OR
THE HISTORY OF THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM
Book I: Chapter 9
ARISTOBULUS IS TAKEN OFF BY POMPEY’S FRIENDS, AS IS
HIS SON ALEXANDER BY SCIPIO. ANTIPATER CULTIVATES A
FRIENDSHIP WITH CAESAR, AFTER POMPEY’S DEATH; HE ALSO
PERFORMS GREAT ACTIONS IN THAT WAR, WHEREIN HE
ASSISTED MITHRIDATES. 1. NOW, upon the flight of
Pompey and of the senate beyond the Ionian Sea, Caesar
got Rome and the empire under his power, and released
Aristobulus from his bonds. He also committed two
legions to him, and sent him in haste into Syria, as
hoping that by his means he should easily conquer that
country, and the parts adjoining to Judea. But envy
prevented any effect of Aristobulus’s alacrity, and
the hopes of Caesar; for he was taken off by poison
given him by those of Pompey’s party; and, for a long
while, he had not so much as a burial vouchsafed him
in his own country; but his dead body lay [above
ground], preserved in honey, until it was sent to the
Jews by Antony, in order to be buried in the royal
sepulchers.
2. His son Alexander also was beheaded by Sci-pio
at Antioch, and that bythe command of Pompey, and upon
an accusation laid against him before his tribunal,
for the mischiefs he had done to the Romans. But
Ptolemy, the son of Menneus, who was then ruler of
Chalcis, under Libanus, took his brethren to him by
sending his son Philippio for them to Ascalon, who
took Antigonus, as well as his sisters, away from
Aristobulus’s wife, and brought them to his father;
and falling in love with the younger daughter, he
married her, and was afterwards slain by his father on
her account; for Ptolemy himself, after he had slain
his son, married her, whose name was Alexandra; on the
account of which marriage he took the greater care of
her brother and sister.
3. Now, after Pompey was dead, Antipater changed
sides, and cultivated a friendship with Caesar. And
since Mithridates of Pergamus, with the forces he led
against Egypt, was excluded from the avenues about
Pelusium, and was forced to stay at Asealon, he
persuaded the Arabians,
among whom he had lived, to assist him, and came
himself to him, at the head of three thousand armed
men. He also encouraged the men of power in Syria to
come to his assistance, as also of the inhabitants of
Libanus, Ptolemy, and Jamblicus, and another Ptolemy;
by which means the cities of that country came readily
into this war; insomuch that Mithridates ventured now,
in dependence upon the additional strength that he had
gotten by Antipater, to march forward to Pelusium; and
when they refused him a passage through it, he
besieged the city; in the attack of which place
Antipater principally signalized himself, for he
brought down that part of the wall which was over
against him, and leaped first of all into the city,
with the men that were about him.
4. Thus was Pelusium taken. But still, as they were
marching on, those Egyptian Jews that inhabited the
country called the country of Onias stopped them. Then
did Antipater not only persuade them not to stop them,
but to afford provisions for their army; on which
account even the people about Memphis would not fight
against them, but of their own accord joined
Mithridates. Whereupon he went round about Delta, and
fought the rest of the Egyptians at a place called the
Jews’ Camp; nay, when he was in danger in the battle
with all his right wing, Antipater wheeled about, and
came along the bank of the river to him; for he had
beaten those that opposed him as he led the left wing.
After which success he fell upon those that pursued
Mithridates, and slew a great many of them, and
pursued the remainder so far that he took their camp,
while he lost no more than fourscore of his own men;
as Mithridates lost, during the pursuit that was made
after him, about eight hundred. He was also himself
saved unexpectedly, and became an unreproachable
witness to Caesar of the great actions of Antipater.
5. Whereupon Caesar encouraged Antipater to
undertake other hazard ous enterprises for him, and
that by giving him great commendations and hopes of
reward. In all which enterprises he readily exposed
himself to many dangers, and became a most courageous
warrior; and had many wounds almost all over his body,
as demonstrations of his valor. And when Caesar had
settled the affairs of Egypt, and was returning into
Syria again, he gave him the privilege of a Roman
citizen, and freedom from taxes, and rendered him an
object of admiration by the honors and marks of
friendship he
1305 bestowed upon him. On this account it was that
he also confirmed Hyrcanus in the high priesthood.
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