HOW ARISTOBULUS, WHEN HE HAD TAKEN THE GOVERNMENT FIRST OF ALL PUT A DIADEM ON HIS HEAD, AND WAS MOST BARBAROUSLY CRUEL TO HIS MOTHER AND HIS BRETHREN; AND HOW, AFTER HE HAD SLAIN ANTIGONUS, HE HIMSELF DIED. FJAJ 13.74
1. NOW when their father Hyrcanus was dead, the eldest son Aristobulus,
intending to change the government into a kingdom, for so he resolved to
do, first of all put a diadem on his head, four hundred eighty and one
years and three months after the people had been delivered from the Babylonish
slavery, and were returned to their own country again
This Aristobulus
loved his next brother Antigonus, and treated him as his equal; but the
others he held in bonds
He also cast his mother into prison, because she
disputed the government with him; for Hyrcanus had left her to be mistress
of all
He also proceeded to that degree of barbarity, as to kill her in
prison with hunger; nay, he was alienated from his brother Antigonus by
calumnies, and added him to the rest whom he slew; yet he seemed to have
an affection for him, and made him above the rest a partner with him in
the kingdom
Those calumnies he at first did not give credit to, partly
because he loved him, and so did not give heed to what was said against
him, and partly because he thought the reproaches were derived from the
envy of the relaters
But when Antigonus was once returned from the army,
and that feast was then at hand when they make tabernacles to [the honor
of God,] it happened that Arlstobulus was fallen sick, and that Antigonus
went up most splendidly adorned, and with his soldiers about him in their
armor, to the temple to celebrate the feast, and to put up many prayers
for the recovery of his brother, when some wicked persons, who had a great
mind to raise a difference between the brethren, made use of this opportunity
of the pompous appearance of Antigonus, and of the great actions which
he had done, and went to the king, and spitefully aggravated the pompous
show of his at the feast, and pretended that all these circumstances were
not like those of a private person; that these actions were indications
of an affectation of royal authority; and that his coming with a strong
body of men must be with an intention to kill him; and that his way of
reasoning was this: That it was a silly thing in him, while it was in his
power to reign himself, to look upon it as a great favor that he was honored
with a lower dignity by his brother. FJAJ 13.75
2. Aristobulus yielded to these imputations, but took care both that
his brother should not suspect him, and that he himself might not run the
hazard of his own safety; so he ordered his guards to lie in a certain
place that was under ground, and dark; (he himself then lying sick in the
tower which was called Antonia;) and he commanded them, that in case Antigonus
came in to him unarmed, they should not touch any body, but if armed, they
should kill him; yet did he send to Antigonus, and desired that he would
come unarmed; but the queen, and those that joined with her in the plot
against Antigonus, persuaded the messenger to tell him the direct contrary:
how his brother had heard that he had made himself a fine suit of armor
for war, and desired him to come to him in that armor, that he might see
how fine it was
So Antigonus suspecting no treachery, but depending on
the good-will of his brother, came to Aristobulus armed, as he used to
be, with his entire armor, in order to show it to him; but when he was
come to a place which was called Strato's Tower, where the passage happened
to be exceeding dark, the guards slew him; which death of his demonstrates
that nothing is stronger than envy and calumny, and that nothing does more
certainly divide the good-will and natural affections of men than those
passions
But here one may take occasion to wonder at one Judas, who was
of the sect of the Essens, (31)
Hence we learn that the Essens pretended to have ruled whereby men might
foretell things to come, and that this Judas the Essen taught those rules
to his scholars; but whether their pretense were of an astrological or
magical nature, which yet in such religious Jews, who were utterly forbidden
such arts, is no way probable, or to any Bath Col, spoken of by the later
Rabbins, or otherwise, I cannot tell. See Of the War, B. II. ch. 8. sect.
12.
and who never missed the truth in his predictions; for this man, when he
saw Antigonus passing by the temple, cried out to his companions and friends,
who abode with him as his scholars, in order to learn the art of foretelling
things to come?" That it was good for him to die now, since he had
spoken falsely about Antigonus, who is still alive, and I see him passing
by, although he had foretold he should die at the place called Strato's
Tower that very day, while yet the place is six hundred furlongs off, where
he had foretold he should be slain; and still this day is a great part
of it already past, so that he was in danger of proving a false prophet."
As he was saying this, and that in a melancholy mood, the news came that
Antigonus was slain in a place under ground, which itself was called also
Strato's Tower, or of the same name with that Cesarea which is seated at
the sea
This event put the prophet into a great disorder. FJAJ 13.76
3. But Aristobulus repented immediately of this slaughter of his brother;
on which account his disease increased upon him, and he was disturbed in
his mind, upon the guilt of such wickedness, insomuch that his entrails
were corrupted by his intolerable pain, and he vomited blood: at which
time one of the servants that attended upon him, and was carrying his blood
away, did, by Divine Providence, as I cannot but suppose, slip down, and
shed part of his blood at the very place where there were spots of Antigonus's
blood, there slain, still remaining; and when there was a cry made by the
spectators, as if the servant had on purpose shed the blood on that place,
Aristobulus heard it, and inquired what the matter was; and as they did
not answer him, he was the more earnest to know what it was, it being natural
to men to suspect that what is thus concealed is very bad: so upon his
threatening, and forcing them by terrors to speak, they at length told
him the truth; whereupon he shed many tears, in that disorder of mind which
arose from his consciousness of what he had done, and gave a deep groan,
and said, "I am not therefore, I perceive, to be concealed from God,
in the impious and horrid crimes I have been guilty of; but a sudden punishment
is coming upon me for the shedding the blood of my relations
And now,
O thou most impudent body of mine, how long wilt thou retain a soul that
ought to die, in order to appease the ghosts of my brother and my mother?
Why dost thou not give it all up at once? And why do I deliver up my blood
drop by drop to those whom I have so wickedly murdered?" In saying
which last words he died, having reigned a year
He was called a lover
of the Grecians; and had conferred many benefits on his own country, and
made war against Iturea, and added a great part of it to Judea, and compelled
the inhabitants, if they would continue in that country, to be circumcised,
and to live according to the Jewish laws
He was naturally a man of candor,
and of great modesty, as Strabo bears witness, in the name of Timagenes;
who says thus: "This man was a person of candor, and very serviceable
to the Jews; for he added a country to them, and obtained a part of the
nation of the Itureans for them, and bound them to them by the bond of
the circumcision of their genitals." FJAJ 13.77