1.171
Yet did Aristobulus afford another foundation for new disturbances.
He fled away from Rome, and got together again many of the Jews that were
desirous of a change, such as had borne an affection to him of old; and
when he had taken Alexandrium in the first place, he attempted to build
a wall about it; but as soon as Gabinius had sent an army against him under
Siscuria, and Antonius, and Servilius, he was aware of it, and retreated
to Macherus. And as for the unprofitable multitude, he dismissed them,
and only marched on with those that were armed, being to the number of
eight thousand, among whom was Pitholaus, who had been the lieutenant at
Jerusalem, but deserted to Aristobulus with a thousand of his men; so the
Romans followed him, and when it came to a battle, Aristobulus's party
for a long time fought courageously; but at length they were overborne
by the Romans, and of them five thousand fell down dead, and about two
thousand fled to a certain little hill, but the thousand that remained
with Aristobulus brake through the Roman army, and marched together to
Macherus; and when the king had lodged the first night upon its ruins,
he was in hopes of raising another army, if the war would but cease a while;
accordingly, he fortified that strong hold, though it was done after a
poor manner. But the Romans falling upon him, he resisted, even beyond
his abilities, for two days, and then was taken, and brought a prisoner
to Gabinius, with Antigonus his son, who had fled away together with him
from Rome; and from Gabinius he was carried to Rome again. Wherefore the
senate put him under confinement, but returned his children back to Judea,
because Gabinius informed them by letters that he had promised Aristobulus's
mother to do so, for her delivering the fortresses up to him.
1.175
But now as Gabinius was marching to the war against the Parthians,
he was hindered by Ptolemy, whom, upon his return from Euphrates, he brought
back into Egypt, making use of Hyrcanus and Antipater to provide every
thing that was necessary for this expedition; for Antipater furnished him
with money, and weapons, and corn, and auxiliaries; he also prevailed with
the Jews that were there, and guarded the avenues at Pelusium, to let them
pass. But now, upon Gabinius's absence, the other part of Syria was in
motion, and Alexander, the son of Aristobulus, brought the Jews to revolt
again. Accordingly, he got together a very great army, and set about killing
all the Romans that were in the country; hereupon Gabinius was afraid,
(for he was come back already out of Egypt, and obliged to come back quickly
by these tumults,) and sent Antipater, who prevailed with some of the revolters
to be quiet. However, thirty thousand still continued with Alexander, who
was himself eager to fight also; accordingly, Gabinius went out to fight,
when the Jews met him; and as the battle was fought near Mount Tabor, ten
thousand of them were slain, and the rest of the multitude dispersed themselves,
and fled away. So Gabinius came to Jerusalem, and settled the government
as Antipater would have it; thence he marched, and fought and beat the
Nabateans: as for Mithridates and Orsanes, who fled out of Parthin, he
sent them away privately, but gave it out among the soldiers that they
had run away.
1.179
In the mean time, Crassus came as successor to Gabinius in Syria.
He took away all the rest of the gold belonging to the temple of Jerusalem,
in order to furnish himself for his expedition against the Parthians. He
also took away the two thousand talents which Pompey had not touched; but
when he had passed over Euphrates, he perished himself, and his army with
him; concerning which affairs this is not a proper time to speak [more
largely].
1.180
But now Cassius, after Crassus, put a stop to the Parthians, who
were marching in order to enter Syria. Cassius had fled into that province,
and when he had taken possession of the same, he made a hasty march into
Judea; and, upon his taking Taricheae, he carried thirty thousand Jews
into slavery. He also slew Pitholaus, who had supported the seditious followers
of Aristobulus; and it was Antipater who advised him so to do. Now this
Antipater married a wife of an eminent family among the Arabisus, whose
name was Cypros, and had four sons born to him by her, Phasaelus and Herod,
who was afterwards king, and, besides these, Joseph and Pheroras; and he
had a daughter whose name was Salome. Now as he made himself friends among
the men of power every where, by the kind offices he did them, and the
hospitable manner that he treated them; so did he contract the greatest
friendship with the king of Arabia, by marrying his relation; insomuch
that when he made war with Aristobulus, he sent and intrusted his children
with him. So when Cassius had forced Alexander to come to terms and to
be quiet, he returned to Euphrates, in order to prevent the Parthians from
repassing it; concerning which matter we shall speak elsewhere. note
note
