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having come up with a guard of soldiers, he plots against him. But Aristobulus, both caring for his own safety and taking thought for his brother, stations the bodyguards in a certain one of the dark underground passages, having commanded them to spare his brother if he were unarmed, but to kill him if he came with his weapons. And he also sends to Antigonus, ordering him to come unarmed. But the wife of Aristobulus and those who thought with her against Antigonus persuaded the one who was sent to say to Antigonus that "your brother, having heard that you have had new weapons made, requests you to come armed, so that he may see them." And he, suspecting nothing, went away dressed in his full armor. And having come to the Tower of Strato, where the place was unlit, he is killed by the bodyguards. But a certain Judas, an Essene by race, who foretold many things and spoke truly, seeing Antigonus then passing the temple, cried out, praying to die, as having been proven false while Antigonus was living; for he had predicted that he would die on that day in the Tower of Strato; but the place was six hundred stades away, so that it was impossible for Antigonus to be there, as the day was already declining. While Judas was saying these things, it is announced that Antigonus had been killed in the underground passage, which itself was also named the Tower of Strato, homonymously with Caesarea on the sea. So such was the end for Antigonus, and justice for the fratricide immediately came upon Aristobulus. And with his insides failing him, he brought up blood 1.340, which one of those serving him, while carrying it out, slipped into the place where Antigonus was slain, which still had stains of that blood, and poured it out, so that the blood of both was mixed together. And when a cry arose from those who saw it, Aristobulus, learning what had happened, groaned and was moved to tears and said, "I was not, then, destined to escape God's notice for such impious deeds." And having said other things, he dies, having reigned for one year. But Salome his wife, who was also called Alexandra, having released her husband's brothers, for Aristobulus had kept them in bonds, appoints as king Jannaeus, also called Alexander, who was superior in age and most moderate. He, having taken over the kingdom, kills one of his brothers who was plotting a revolution, but honored the other who lived a quiet life. And having made some wars against some people, and having been victorious in some ways, but in other places also having been defeated, at last he even took up arms against his own people who had revolted against him. For when there was a festival and he had gone up to the altar as if to sacrifice, the multitude pelted him with citrons, it being a custom during the feast of tabernacles to hold in their hands thyrsi of palm branches and citrons, and they poured insults upon him. Provoked by this, Alexander kills about six thousand of them. Then having joined battle with the Arabs and being defeated, he arrives as a fugitive in Jerusalem, and with the nation attacking him in his misfortune, fighting against it for six years, for he maintained Pisidians and Cilicians, he kills no fewer than five myriads. For which reason he was hated all the more, so that to 1.341 him, when he asked what must be done for the hostility to cease, the multitude cried out for him to die. And after this, the Jews fought with Alexander, and very many were killed. And having shut up their most powerful men in a certain city, he besieged them, and having overpowered them, he led them away to Jerusalem. And while feasting in plain sight with his wives, he did a most cruel deed, having crucified eight hundred of them, and he slaughtered their children and their wives before their eyes while they were still living. This harsh deed persuaded his opponents, who were about eight thousand, to flee. And Alexander from then on enjoyed peace. Then Antiochus who was called Dionysius marched against Judaea. And when a fierce battle took place against the Jews, Antiochus died in the war while winning and coming to the aid of the struggling side. And when he died, the army flees and is destroyed by famine. And after Antiochus, Aretas rules Coele-Syria, and having marched against the

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δορυφορίας στρατιωτῶν ἀνελθὼν βουλεύεται κατ' αὐτοῦ. ̓Αριστόβουλος δέ, καὶ τῆς οἰκείας ἀσφαλείας φροντίζων καὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ προνοῶν, εν τινι τῶν ὑπογείων ἀφεγγεῖ τοὺς σωματοφύλακας ιστησιν, ἐντειλάμενος ἀόπλου μὲν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ φείδεσθαι, κτείνειν δὲ αὐτὸν μετὰ τῶν οπλων ἐρχόμενον· πέμπει δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὸν ̓Αντίγονον, αοπλον αὐτὸν κελεύων ηκειν. ἡ δὲ τοῦ ̓Αριστοβούλου γυνὴ καὶ οἱ ταύτῃ συμφρονοῦντες κατὰ τοῦ ̓Αντιγόνου επεισαν τὸν σταλέντα λέγειν τῷ ̓Αντιγόνῳ ὡς "ἀκούσας ὁ ἀδελφός σου οτι οπλα καινὰ κατεσκεύασας, ἀξιοῖ ὡπλισμένον ἐλθεῖν σε, ιν' ιδοι αὐτά." ὁ δὲ μηδὲν ὑποτοπάσας, ἐνδεδυμένος τὴν πανοπλίαν ἀπῄει. καὶ γενόμενος κατὰ τὸν Στράτωνος πύργον, οπου ὁ τόπος ἀφώτιστος ην, κτείνεται παρὰ τῶν σωματοφυλάκων. ̓Ιούδας δέ τις ̓Εσσαῖος τὸ γένος πολλὰ προλέγων καὶ ἀληθεύων, ἰδὼν τότε τὸν ̓Αντίγονον παριόντα τὸ ἱερόν, ἀνεβόησεν ἀποθανεῖν ἐπευχόμενος ὡς διεψευσμένος ζῶντος τοῦ ̓Αντιγόνου· προεῖπε γὰρ αὐτὸν κατ' ἐκείνην θανούμενον τὴν ἡμέραν ἐν τῷ Στράτωνος πύργῳ· τὸν δὲ σταδίους ἀπέχειν ἑξακοσίους, ὡς ἀδύνατον ειναι ἐκεῖ γενήσεσθαι τὸν ̓Αντίγονον, ηδη τῆς ἡμέρας κλινούσης. ταῦτα λέγοντος τοῦ ̓Ιούδα ἀγγέλλεται κτανθεὶς ̓Αντίγονος ἐν τῷ ὑπογείῳ, ο καὶ αὐτὸ Στράτωνος ὠνόμαστο πύργος, ὁμωνύμως τῇ παραλίῳ Καισαρείᾳ. Τῷ μὲν ουν ̓Αντιγόνῳ τοιοῦτον γέγονε τέλος, τὸν δὲ ̓Αριστόβουλον εὐθὺς ἡ δίκη μετῆλθε τῆς ἀδελφοκτονίας. καὶ διαφθαρέντων αὐτῷ τῶν ἐντὸς αιμα 1.340 ἀνέφερεν, ο τις τῶν ἐκείνῳ ὑπηρετούντων ἐκκομίζων ωλισθεν εἰς τὸν τόπον ου ὁ ̓Αντίγονος ἐσφάγη, ετι τοῦ αιματος ἐκείνου εχοντα σπίλους, καὶ ἐξέχεεν, ὡς ἀναμεμῖχθαι ἀμφοτέρων τὰ αιματα. γενομένης δὲ βοῆς παρὰ τῶν ἰδόντων, μαθὼν τὸ συμβὰν ̓Αριστόβουλος οἰμώξας προήχθη εἰς δάκρυα καί "οὐκ αρα λήσειν" ειπεν "εμελλον τὸν θεὸν ἐπ' ἀσεβέσιν ουτω τολμήμασι." καὶ αλλα δὲ ἐπειπὼν ἀποθνήσκει, βασιλεύσας ἐνιαυτόν. Σαλώμη δὲ ἡ ἐκείνου γυνή, η καὶ ̓Αλεξάνδρα ἐκέκλητο, λύσασα τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς τοῦ ἀνδρός, δεδεμένους γὰρ ειχεν αὐτοὺς ̓Αριστόβουλος, βασιλέα καθίστησιν ̓Ιαννέαν τὸν καὶ ̓Αλέξανδρον, προύχοντα καθ' ἡλικίαν καὶ μετριώτατον. ος τὴν βασιλείαν παραλαβὼν κτείνει μὲν νεωτερίζοντα τὸν ενα τῶν ἀδελφῶν, τὸν δ' ετερον ἀπραγμόνως ζῶντα ἐτίμα. πολέμους δέ τινας ποιησάμενος πρός τινας, καὶ πῇ μὲν κρατήσας, εστι δ' οπου καὶ ἡττηθείς, τέλος καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ὁμοφύλους ηρεν οπλα κατ' αὐτοῦ στασιάσαντας. ἑορτῆς γὰρ ουσης καὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοῦ βωμοῦ ἀνελθόντος ὡς θύσοντος, κιτρίοις αὐτὸν τὸ πλῆθος εβαλλον, εθους οντος ἐν τῇ σκηνοπηγίᾳ θύρσους φοινίκων καὶ κιτρίων ἐν χεροῖν εχειν, καὶ υβρεις αὐτοῦ κατέχεον. οις παροξυνθεὶς ὁ ̓Αλέξανδρος κτείνει περὶ ἑξακισχιλίους αὐτῶν. ειτα συνάψας μάχην πρὸς Αραβας καὶ ἡττηθεὶς φεύγων εἰς ̔Ιεροσόλυμα παραγίνεται, καὶ πρὸς τὴν κακοπραγίαν αὐτῷ τοῦ εθνους ἐπιθεμένου, ετεσιν εξ μαχόμενος πρὸς αὐτό, ετρεφε γὰρ Πισίδας καὶ Κίλικας, οὐκ ἐλάττους ἀναιρεῖ μυριάδων πέντε. δι' α ετι μᾶλλον μεμίσητο, ωστε πρὸς 1.341 αὐτόν, τί δεῖ γενέσθαι πυνθανόμενον ωστε παύσασθαι τὴν δυσμένειαν, τὸ πλῆθος ἀποθανεῖν αὐτὸν ἐξεβόησε. καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ ̓Ιουδαῖοι τῷ ̓Αλεξάνδρῳ ἐμάχοντο, καὶ πλεῖστοι ἀπώλλυντο. κατακλείσας δὲ τοὺς δυνατωτάτους αὐτῶν εν τινι πόλει ἐπολιόρκει, καὶ κρατήσας αὐτῶν ἀπήγαγεν εἰς ̔Ιεροσόλυμα. καὶ ἐν ἀπόπτῳ μετὰ τῶν γυναικῶν ἑστιώμενος ὠμότατον εργον πεποίηκεν, ἀνασταυρώσας αὐτῶν ὀκτακοσίους, καὶ τοὺς παῖδας αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας ἐπ' οψεσι σφῶν ετι ζώντων ἀπέσφαττε. τοῦτο τὸ ἀπηνὲς εργον επεισε τοὺς ἀντιστασιώτας αὐτοῦ περὶ ὀκτακισχιλίους οντας φυγεῖν. καὶ ὁ ̓Αλέξανδρος εκτοτε ἠρεμίας ἀπήλαυσεν. Επειτα ̓Αντίοχος ὁ κληθεὶς ∆ιονύσιος κατὰ τῆς ̓Ιουδαίας ἐστράτευσε. καὶ μάχης καρτερᾶς γενομένης πρὸς ̓Ιουδαίους ἀπέθανεν ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ ̓Αντίοχος νικῶν καὶ τῷ πονοῦντι μέρει συνεπαρήγων. θανόντος δ' ἐκείνου τὸ στράτευμα φεύγει καὶ λιμῷ διαφθείρεται. βασιλεύει δὲ μετ' ̓Αντίοχον τῆς Κοίλης Συρίας ̓Αρέτας, καὶ στρατεύσας ἐπὶ τὴν