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.
1.117
In the mean time, Alexandra fell sick, and Aristobulus, her younger
son, took hold of this opportunity, with his domestics, of which he had
a great many, who were all of them his friends, on account of the warmth
of their youth, and got possession of all the fortresses. He also used
the sums of money he found in them to get together a number of mercenary
soldiers, and made himself king; and besides this, upon Hyrcanus's complaint
to his mother, she compassionated his case, and put Aristobulus's wife
and sons under restraint in Antonia, which was a fortress that joined to
the north part of the temple. It was, as I have already said, of old called
the Citadel; but afterwards got the name of Antonia, when Antony was [lord
of the East], just as the other cities, Sebaste and Agrippias, had their
names changed, and these given them from Sebastus and Agrippa. But Alexandra
died before she could punish Aristobulus for his disinheriting his brother,
after she had reigned nine years.
note
1.120
NOW Hyrcanus was heir to the kingdom, and to him did his mother commit
it before she died; but Aristobulus was superior to him in power and magnanimity;
and when there was a battle between them, to decide the dispute about the
kingdom, near Jericho, the greatest part deserted Hyrcanus, and went over
to Aristobulus; but Hyrcanus, with those of his party who staid with him,
fled to Antonia, and got into his power the hostages that might he for
his preservation (which were Aristobulus's wife, with her children); but
they came to an agreement before things should come to extremities, that
Aristobulus should be king, and Hyrcanus should resign that up, but retain
all the rest of his dignities, as being the king's brother. Hereupon they
were reconciled to each other in the temple, and embraced one another in
a very kind manner, while the people stood round about them; they also
changed their houses, while Aristobulus went to the royal palace, and Hyrcanus
retired to the house of Aristobulus.
