Cleopatra to wife. But in a few days, he put her to death, and reigned alone, forty years.

546. In the year 79 B. C., Alexander Janneus, being affected with a quartan ague, which had hung upon him for a long time, thought he would try the effect of exercise and exertion. He, therefore, marched over Jordan, and besieged Razaba, a castle in the country of Gerasans, where, laboring too hard, he brought on a paroxysm of his disorder, of which he died in the camp.

CHAPTER XXIII.

ALEXANDER BEQUEATHS THE KINGDOM OF JUDEA TO ALEXANDRA HIS WIFE-COUNSELS HER TO CONCILIATE THE PHARISEES ORIGIN OF THE FAMILY OF THE HERODS-DISPUTES ABOUT THE PRIESTHOOD-POMPEY COMES INTO THE EASTHIS HEAD QUARTERS AT DAMASCUS-THE QUARREL BETWEEN ARISTOBULUS AND HYRCANUS BROUGHT REFORE HIM IMPRUDENT CONDUCT OF ARISTOBULUS-POMPEY IS RECEIVED INTO JERUSALEM-ENTERS THE SANCTUARY-PLACES HYRCANUS IN THE OFFICE OF HIGH PRIESTORDERS THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM TO BE DEMOLISHED-LEAVES A GARRISON IN THE CITY AND DEPARTS.

547. ALEXANDER left two sons, Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, but bequeathed the government to his wife Alexandra, with the power to appoint whichever of his sons she pleased, to succeed her.

548. She being with him on this expedition, when she found that he was near his end, was full of apprehensions of the dangers which surrounded her. But he called her to him, and advised her to conceal his death until the castle was taken; then to march back to Jerusalem, in triumph, and to call together the leaders of the sect of the Pharisees, whose enmity had embittered his life, and to lay his corpse before them, that they might cast it out with indignity, or

treat it as they pleased; and to promise them, that she would undertake nothing without their advice. All this she exactly followed, and the effect was what he foresaw. Their hatred for Alexander was turned into veneration, and they became the warm friends of Alexandra.

549. When she had settled herself firmly on the throne, she made her eldest son Hyrcanus, high Priest; and to gratify her new friends, the Pharisees, she repealed the edict of John Hyrcanus, in which he forbad their attention to traditions; and restored them to all their former privileges; and released all that her husband had confined in prison."

550. The Pharisees, however, insisted on having condign punishment inflicted on all who advised Alexander to crucify the eight hundred persons, already mentioned; and on such pretexts, they caused her to gratify their revenge, on all their enemies, but often sorely against her will.

551. In the year 76 B. C., Bithynia became a Roman province, by the bequest of its king Nicomedes. Cyrene, was also reduced to the form of a province, which had been before left to them, in the same

manner.

552. The progress of the Romans in the east became more and more rapid. The only king who gave them much serious opposition, was Mithridates, king of Pontus; but it does not lie in our way to give a history of these wars.

553. Alexandra having given herself up to the counsels and government of the Pharisees, all that were known or suspected of advising or aiding the late king in his measures hostile to their sect, were now persecuted with unrelenting. severity. They, of the

adverse party, seeing no end of this oppression, collected in a body, and with Aristobulus at their head, went to the queen, to remonstrate against these proceedings. If they could not be protected at home, they begged that they might be permitted to leave the country, or might be distributed among the garrisons, where they might be exempt from these cruel persecutions, which they endured for no other reason, but because they were the devoted friends and servants of the late king.

554. The queen pitied them from her heart, but knew not how to relieve them, without bringing on herself the vengeance of the Pharisees, who had the people on their side. She, however, agreed to place them in the garrisons of the fortresses.

555. This year, 72 B. C., was born Herod the Great, who was afterwards king of Judea. His father Antipas was a noble Idumean, and his mother of an illustrious family among the Arabians. The name Antipas was changed to Antipater, to make it more conformable to the usage of the Greeks. This man was governor of Idumea, under Alexander Janneus. As he was an Idumean, he was, of course, brought up in the Jewish religion; for all the Idumeans had embraced Judaism.

556. In the year 70 B. C., died Alexandra, queen of the Jews, in the seventy-third year of her age. She was a woman of great wisdom and clemency; but unhappily was under the necessity of yielding to the Pharisees; a faction which she had no power to withstand.

557. As soon as Antiochus saw that his mother was past recovery, having resolved to seize the kingdom,

he privately withdrew and repaired to the castles, where his father's friends had sought an asylum; and by means of these, all the strong places in the country were soon in his hands.

558. The Pharisees were much disturbed at these proceedings, and as Alexandra was yet alive, though very low, they went to her to get her to say, that Hyrcanus should possess the supreme power; but she told them, that she was not in a condition to decide on such weighty affairs; and having submitted every thing to their management, soon afterwards expired.

559. By the advice and aid of the Pharisees, Hyrcanus raised an army against his brother; when a decisive battle was fought, in which, most of the soldiers of Hyrcanus, going over to Aristobulus, he was obliged to flee to Jerusalem; but soon, almost all his adherents declaring for his brother, he agreed to resign the priesthood and the supreme power, and to lead a private life. Thus ended the tyranny of the Pharisees, which had been exercised over the nation from the death of Alexander Janneus.

560. Aristobulus now exercised the office of high priest, and of supreme ruler of the nation, for six years and six months; Hyrcanus having been in authority, only three months, after the death of his mother.

561. In the year 66 B. C., Pompey the Great, succeeded Lucullus, in the chief command of the Roman army in Syria. Pompey drew into alliance with him, Phraates, king of Parthia; and made an offer of peace to Mithridates; but he, calculating on the aid and friendship of the Parthian king, declined the overture. But when he understood that Pompey had been beforehand with him, then of his own