1.88
But when he had made slaves of the citizens of all these cities,
the nation of the Jews made an insurrection against him at a festival;
for at those feasts seditions are generally begun; and it looked as if
he should not be able to escape the plot they had laid for him, had not
his foreign auxiliaries, the Pisidians and Cilicians, assisted him; for
as to the Syrians, he never admitted them among his mercenary troops, on
account of their innate enmity against the Jewish nation. And when he had
slain more than six thousand of the rebels, he made an incursion into Arabia;
and when he had taken that country, together with the Gileadires and Moabites,
he enjoined them to pay him tribute, and returned to Areathus; and as Theodorus
was surprised at his great success, he took the fortress, and demolished
it.
1.90
However, when he fought with Obodas, king of the Arabians, who had
laid an ambush for him near Golan, and a plot against him, he lost his
entire army, which was crowded together in a deep valley, and broken to
pieces by the multitude of camels. And when he had made his escape to Jerusalem,
he provoked the multitude, which hated him before, to make an insurrection
against him, and this on account of the greatness of the calamity that
he was under. However, he was then too hard for them; and, in the several
battles that were fought on both sides, he slew not fewer than fifty thousand
of the Jews in the interval of six years. Yet had he no reason to rejoice
in these victories, since he did but consume his own kingdom; till at length
he left off fighting, and endeavored to come to a composition with them,
by talking with his subjects. But this mutability and irregularity of his
conduct made them hate him still more. And when he asked them why they
so hated him, and what he should do in order to appease them, they said,
by killing himself; for that it would be then all they could do to be reconciled
to him, who had done such tragical things to them, even when he was dead.
At the same time they invited Demetrius, who was called Eucerus, to assist
them; and as he readily complied with their requests, in hopes of great
advantages, and came with his army, the Jews joined with those their auxiliaries
about Shechem.
1.93
Yet did Alexander meet both these forces with one thousand horsemen,
and eight thousand mercenaries that were on foot. He had also with him
that part of the Jews which favored him, to the number of ten thousand;
while the adverse party had three thousand horsemen, and fourteen thousand
footmen. Now, before they joined battle, the kings made proclamation, and
endeavored to draw off each other's soldiers, and make them revolt; while
Demetrius hoped to induce Alexander's mercenaries to leave him, and Alexander
hoped to induce the Jews that were with Demetrius to leave him. But since
neither the Jews would leave off their rage, nor the Greeks prove unfaithful,
they came to an engagement, and to a close fight with their weapons. In
which battle Demetrius was the conqueror, although Alexander's mercenaries
showed the greatest exploits, both in soul and body. Yet did the upshot
of this battle prove different from what was expected, as to both of them;
for neither did those that invited Demetrius to come to them continue firm
to him, though he was conqueror; and six thousand Jews, out of pity to
the change of Alexander's condition, when he was fled to the mountains,
came over to him. Yet could not Demetrius bear this turn of affairs; but
supposing that Alexander was already become a match for him again, and
that all the nation would [at length] run to him, he left the country,
and went his way.
1.96
However, the rest of the [Jewish] multitude did not lay aside their
quarrels with him, when the [foreign] auxiliaries were gone; but they had
a perpetual war with Alexander, until he had slain the greatest part of
them, and driven the rest into the city Berneselis; and when he had demolished
that city, he carried the captives to Jerusalem. Nay, his rage was grown
so extravagant, that his barbarity proceeded to the degree of impiety;
for when he had ordered eight hundred to be hung upon crosses in the midst
of the city, he had the throats of their wives and children cut before
their eyes; and these executions he saw as he was drinking and lying down
with his concubines. Upon which so deep a surprise seized on the people,
that eight thousand of his opposers fled away the very next night, out
of all Judea, whose flight was only terminated by Alexander's death; so
at last, though not till late, and with great difficulty, he, by such actions,
procured quiet to his kingdom, and left off fighting any more.
1.99
Yet did that Antiochus, who was also called Dionysius, become an
origin of troubles again. This man was the brother of Demetrius, and the
last of the race of the Seleucidse. note
Alexander was afraid of him, when he was marching against the Arabians;
so he cut a deep trench between Antipatris, which was near the mountains,
and the shores of Joppa; he also erected a high wall before the trench,
and built wooden towers, in order to hinder any sudden approaches. But
still he was not able to exclude Antiochus, for he burnt the towers, and
filled up the trenches, and marched on with his army. And as he looked
upon taking his revenge on Alexander, for endeavoring to stop him, as a
thing of less consequence, he marched directly against the Arabians, whose
king retired into such parts of the country as were fittest for engaging
the enemy, and then on the sudden made his horse turn back, which were
in number ten thousand, and fell upon Antiochus's army while they were
in disorder, and a terrible battle ensued. Antiochus's troops, so long
as he was alive, fought it out, although a mighty slaughter was made among
them by the Arabians; but when he fell, for he was in the forefront, in
the utmost danger, in rallying his troops, they all gave ground, and the
greatest part of his army were destroyed, either in the action or the flight;
and for the rest, who fled to the village of Cana, it happened that they
were all consumed by want of necessaries, a few only excepted.
