第 3 节
作者:不受约束      更新:2024-05-25 15:05      字数:9322
  4。 Now Judas; supposing that Antiochus would not lie still; gathered an army out of his own countrymen; and was the first that made a league of friendship with the Romans; and drove Epiphanes out of the country when he had made a second expedition into it; and this by giving him a great defeat there; and when he was warmed by this great success; he made an assault upon the garrison that was in the city; for it had not been cut off hitherto; so he ejected them out of the upper city; and drove the soldiers into the lower; which part of the city was called the Citadel。 He then got the temple under his power; and cleansed the whole place; and walled it round about; and made new vessels for sacred ministrations; and brought them into the temple; because the former vessels had been profaned。 He also built another altar; and began to offer the sacrifices; and when the city had already received its sacred constitution again; Antiochus died; whose son Antiochus succeeded him in the kingdom; and in his hatred to the Jews also。
  5。 So this Antiochus got together fifty thousand footmen; and five thousand horsemen; and fourscore elephants; and marched through Judea into the mountainous parts。 He then took Bethsura; which was a small city; but at a place called Bethzacharis; where the passage was narrow; Judas met him with his army。 However; before the forces joined battle; Judas's brother Eleazar; seeing the very highest of the elephants adorned with a large tower; and with military trappings of gold to guard him; and supposing that Antiochus himself was upon him; he ran a great way before his own army; and cutting his way through the enemy's troops; he got up to the elephant; yet could he not reach him who seemed to be the king; by reason of his being so high; but still he ran his weapon into the belly of the beast; and brought him down upon himself; and was crushed to death; having done no more than attempted great things; and showed that he preferred glory before life。 Now he that governed the elephant was but a private man; and had he proved to be Antiochus; Eleazar had performed nothing more by this bold stroke than that it might appear he chose to die; when he had the bare hope of thereby doing a glorious action; nay; this disappointment proved an omen to his brother 'Judas' how the entire battle would end。 It is true that the Jews fought it out bravely for a long time; but the king's forces; being superior in number; and having fortune on their side; obtained the victory。 And when a great many of his men were slain; Judas took the rest with him; and fled to the toparchy of Gophna。 So Antiochus went to Jerusalem; and staid there but a few days; for he wanted provisions; and so he went his way。 He left indeed a garrison behind him; such as he thought sufficient to keep the place; but drew the rest of his army off; to take their winter…quarters in Syria。
  6。 Now; after the king was departed; Judas was not idle; for as many of his own nation came to him; so did he gather those that had escaped out of the battle together; and gave battle again to Antiochus's generals at a village called Adasa; and being too hard for his enemies in the battle; and killing a great number of them; he was at last himself slain also。 Nor was it many days afterward that his brother John had a plot laid against him by Antiochus's party; and was slain by them。
  CHAPTER 2。
  Concerning The Successors Of Judas; Who Were Jonathan And Simon; And John Hyrcanus。
  1。 When Jonathan; who was Judas's brother; succeeded him; he behaved himself with great circumspection in other respects; with relation to his own people; and he corroborated his authority by preserving his friendship with the Romans。 He also made a league with Antiochus the son。 Yet was not all this sufficient for his security; for the tyrant Trypho; who was guardian to Antiochus's son; laid a plot against him; and besides that; endeavored to take off his friends; and caught Jonathan by a wile; as he was going to Ptolemais to Antiochus; with a few persons in his company; and put him in bonds; and then made an expedition against the Jews; but when he was afterward driven away by Simon; who was Jonathan's brother; and was enraged at his defeat; he put Jonathan to death。
  2。 However; Simon managed the public affairs after a courageous manner; and took Gazara; and Joppa; and Jamnia; which were cities in his neighborhood。 He also got the garrison under; and demolished the citadel。 He was afterward an auxiliary to Antiochus; against Trypho; whom he besieged in Dora; before he went on his expedition against the Medes; yet could not he make the king ashamed of his ambition; though he had assisted him in killing Trypho; for it was not long ere Antiochus sent Cendebeus his general with an army to lay waste Judea; and to subdue Simon; yet he; though he was now in years; conducted the war as if he were a much younger man。 He also sent his sons with a band of strong men against Antiochus; while he took part of the army himself with him; and fell upon him from another quarter。 He also laid a great many men in ambush in many places of the mountains; and was superior in all his attacks upon them; and when he had been conqueror after so glorious a manner; he was made high priest; and also freed the Jews from the dominion of the Macedonians; after one hundred and seventy years of the empire 'of Seleucus'。
  3。 This Simon also had a plot laid against him; and was slain at a feast by his son…in…law Ptolemy; who put his wife and two sons into prison; and sent some persons to kill John; who was also called Hyrcanus。 (2) But when the young man was informed of their coming beforehand; he made haste to get to the city; as having a very great confidence in the people there; both on account of the memory of the glorious actions of his father; and of the hatred they could not but bear to the injustice of Ptolemy。 Ptolemy also made an attempt to get into the city by another gate; but was repelled by the people; who had just then admitted of Hyrcanus; so he retired presently to one of the fortresses that were about Jericho; which was called Dagon。 Now when Hyrcanus had received the high priesthood; which his father had held before; and had offered sacrifice to God; he made great haste to attack Ptolemy; that he might afford relief to his mother and brethren。
  4。 So he laid siege to the fortress; and was superior to Ptolemy in other respects; but was overcome by him as to the just affection 'he had for his relations'; for when Ptolemy was distressed; he brought forth his mother; and his brethren; and set them upon the wall; and beat them with rods in every body's sight; and threatened; that unless he would go away immediately; he would throw them down headlong; at which sight Hyrcanus's commiseration and concern were too hard for his anger。 But his mother was not dismayed; neither at the stripes she received; nor at the death with which she was threatened; but stretched out her hands; and prayed her son not to be moved with the injuries that she suffered to spare the wretch; since it was to her better to die by the means of Ptolemy; than to live ever so long; provided he might be punished for the injuries he done to their family。 Now John's case was this: When he considered the courage of his mother; and heard her entreaty; he set about his attacks; but when he saw her beaten; and torn to pieces with the stripes; he grew feeble; and was entirely overcome by his affections。 And as the siege was delayed by this means; the year of rest came on; upon which the Jews rest every seventh year as they do on every seventh day。 On this year; therefore; Ptolemy was freed from being besieged; and slew the brethren of John; with their mother; and fled to Zeno; who was also called Cotylas; who was tyrant of Philadelphia。
  5。 And now Antiochus was so angry at what he had suffered from Simon; that he made an expedition into Judea; and sat down before Jerusalem and besieged Hyrcanus; but Hyrcanus opened the sepulcher of David; who was the richest of all kings; and took thence about three thousand talents in money; and induced Antiochus; by the promise of three thousand talents; to raise the siege。 Moreover; he was the first of the Jews that had money enough; and began to hire foreign auxiliaries also。
  6。 However; at another time; when Antiochus was gone upon an expedition against the Medes; and so gave Hyrcanus an opportunity of being revenged upon him; he immediately made an attack upon the cities of Syria; as thinking; what proved to be the case with them; that he should find them empty of god troops。 So he took Medaba and Samea; with the towns in their neighborhood; as also Shechem; and Gerizzim; and besides these; 'he subdued' the nation of the Cutheans; who dwelt round about that temple which was built in imitation of the temple at Jerusalem; he also took a great many other cities of Idumea; with Adoreon and Marissa。  7。 He also proceeded as far as Samaria; where is now the city Sebaste; which was built by Herod the king; and encompassed it all round with a wall; and set his sons; Aristobulus and Antigonus; over the siege; who pushed it on so hard; that a famine so far prevailed within the city; that they were forced to eat what never was est