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| Chapter XXIII.
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Chapter XXIII.
At that time Judah
besieged the Syrians who were posted in the citadel. They, being sore
pressed with famine and want of all things, sent messengers to the king
to implore assistance. Accordingly, Eupator came to their aid with a
hundred thousand infantry and twenty thousand cavalry, while elephants
marched in front of his line, causing immense terror to the onlookers.
Then Judah, abandoning the siege, went to meet the king, and routed the
Syrians in the first battle. The king begged for peace, which,
because348
| 348 The text is here
in utter confusion; we have followed that suggested by Vorstius. | he, with his treacherous disposition,
made a bad use of, vengeance followed his treachery. For Demetrius, the
son of Seleucus, who, we have said above, was handed over as a hostage
to the Romans, when he heard that Antiochus had departed, begged that
they would send him to take possession of the kingdom. And when this
was refused to him, he secretly fled from Rome, came into Syria, and
seized the supreme power, having slain the son of Antiochus, who had
reigned one year and six months. It was during his reign that the Jews
first begged the friendship of the Roman people, and alliance with
them; and the embassy to this effect having been kindly received, they
were, by a decree of the senate, styled allies and friends. In the
meantime Demetrius was, by means of his generals, carrying on war
against Judah. And first the army was led by a certain man named
Bacchides, and by Alcimus, a Jew; Nicanor, being afterwards placed at
the head of the war, fell in battle. Then Bacchides and Alcimus,
recovering power, and having increased their forces, fought against
Judah. The Syrians, turning out victorious in that battle, cruelly
abused their victory. The Hebrews elect Jonathan, the brother of Judah,
in his place. In the meantime, Alcimus, after he had fearfully
desolated Jerusalem, dies; Bacchides, being thus deprived of his ally,
returns to the king. Then, after an interval of two years, Bacchides
again made war upon the Jews, and being beaten, he
begged for peace. This was granted him certain
conditions, to the effect that he should give up the deserters and
prisoners, along with all that he had taken in war.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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