1.103
About this time it was that the people of Damascus, out of their
hatred to Ptolemy, the son of Menhens, invited Aretas [to take the government],
and made him king of Celesyria. This man also made an expedition against
Judea, and beat Alexander in battle; but afterwards retired by mutual agreement.
But Alexander, when he had taken Pella, marched to Gerasa again, out of
the covetous desire he had of Theodorus's possessions; and when he had
built a triple wall about the garrison, he took the place by force. He
also demolished Golan, and Seleucia, and what was called the Valley of
Antiochus; besides which, he took the strong fortress of Gamala, and stripped
Demetrius, who was governor therein, of what he had, on account of the
many crimes laid to his charge, and then returned into Judea, after he
had been three whole years in this expedition. And now he was kindly received
of the nation, because of the good success he had. So when he was at rest
from war, he fell into a distemper; for he was afflicted with a quartan
ague, and supposed that, by exercising himself again in martial affairs,
he should get rid of this distemper; but by making such expeditions at
unseasonable times, and forcing his body to undergo greater hardships than
it was able to bear, he brought himself to his end. He died, therefore,
in the midst of his troubles, after he had reigned seven and twenty years.
note
1.107
NOW Alexander left the kingdom to Alexandra his wife, and depended
upon it that the Jews would now very readily submit to her, because she
had been very averse to such cruelty as he had treated them with, and had
opposed his violation of their laws, and had thereby got the good-will
of the people. Nor was he mistaken as to his expectations; for this woman
kept the dominion, by the opinion that the people had of her piety; for
she chiefly studied the ancient customs of her country, and cast those
men out of the government that offended against their holy laws. And as
she had two sons by Alexander, she made Hyrcanus the elder high priest,
on account of his age, as also, besides that, on account of his inactive
temper, no way disposing him to disturb the public. But she retained the
younger, Aristobulus, with her as a private person, by reason of the warmth
of his temper.
1.110
And now the Pharisees joined themselves to her, to assist her in
the government. These are a certain sect of the Jews that appear more religious
than others, and seem to interpret the laws more accurately. low Alexandra
hearkened to them to an extraordinary degree, as being herself a woman
of great piety towards God. But these Pharisees artfully insinuated themselves
into her favor by little and little, and became themselves the real administrators
of the public affairs: they banished and reduced whom they pleased; they
bound and loosed [men] at their pleasure; note
and, to say all at once, they had the enjoyment of the royal authority,
whilst the expenses and the difficulties of it belonged to Alexandra. She
was a sagacious woman in the management of great affairs, and intent always
upon gathering soldiers together; so that she increased the army the one
half, and procured a great body of foreign troops, till her own nation
became not only very powerful at home, but terrible also to foreign potentates,
while she governed other people, and the Pharisees governed her.
1.113
Accordingly, they themselves slew Diogenes, a person of figure, and
one that had been a friend to Alexander; and accused him as having assisted
the king with his advice, for crucifying the eight hundred men [before
mentioned.] They also prevailed with Alexandra to put to death the rest
of those who had irritated him against them. Now she was so superstitious
as to comply with their desires, and accordingly they slew whom they pleased
themselves. But the principal of those that were in danger fled to Aristobulus,
who persuaded his mother to spare the men on account of their dignity,
but to expel them out of the city, unless she took them to be innocent;
so they were suffered to go unpunished, and were dispersed all over the
country. But when Alexandra sent out her army to Damascus, under pretense
that Ptolemy was always oppressing that city, she got possession of it;
nor did it make any considerable resistance. She also prevailed with Tigranes,
king of Armenia, who lay with his troops about Ptolemais, and besieged
Cleopatra, note
by agreements and presents, to go away. Accordingly, Tigranes soon arose
from the siege, by reason of those domestic tumults which happened upon
Lucullus's expedition into Armenia.