I. ALEXANDRA, otherwise Salome, (for Salome in Hebrew1 signifies much the same thing as Alexandra in Greek; and in like manner Alexandra is in Greek the same as Salome in Hebrew. In the latter times of the Hebrew Commonwealth, almost all the Jews had two names; one Greek, the other Hebrew or Syriac.) Alexandra was first of all Wife to Aristobulus, sirnamed Philellen, or a friend to the Greeks, by whom she had no Children. She afterwards married Alexander Jannæus, Brother to Aristobulus her first Husband, and of whom we have spoken at large under the Article of ALEXANDER JANNÆUS. She lived seven and twenty years with this second Husband; and when she saw him ready to expire before the Castle of Ragaba, which he was then besieging, she represented to him the sad condition which she and her Children would be left in, because the Jews had always, and almost unanimously, opposed him2.
Alexander answered her, that in the first place she should conceal his death from the Soldiers, till Ragaba was taken; secondly, that when she came to Jerusalem she should send for the principal Pharisees, whose power was very great among the Jews, whether they had a mind to make those odious whom they hated, or to recommend them to the esteem and friendship of the people. When therefore they are come, says he, shew them my body, and tell them that you leave it absolutely to their disposal; that they may throw it into the common Sewer, if they please, without burial, and abuse it every way that they can think on, in revenge for the little consideration I have had for them. You must add, that you resolve to do nothing without their approbation and advice, in the government of the Kingdom. If you behave yourself in this manner, you may assure your self that they will perform all funeral honours for me, in a more splendid manner than you would do your self, and that they will be so pleased with the deference you will pay them, as to let you govern in peace.
In the year of the World 3926. before J. C. 74. before the vulgar Æra 78.Alexandra followed the advice her Husband gave her3, and the Pharisees, who were won by these marks of respect which the Queen shewed them, began publickly to praise the King as a Prince who had governed with great justice; that he deserved all imaginable honours from the People, and to have his funeral performed in the most magnificent manner. The people were easily persuaded to be of the Pharisees opinion, and never was any Prince buried in a more pompous manner than King Alexander Jannæus. This Prince, when he died, left two Sons, Hircanus and Aristobulus, and gave the Regency of the Kingdom to the Queen Alexandra. Thus she governed peaceably and happily; because she always seemed to disapprove whatever her Husband had done against the People. As for the rest, she had no more properly than the title of Queen, the Pharisees in reality governing in her name. Some affairs of consequence notwithstanding she would undertake without their direction, and kept a good number of Soldiers in her pay, so that she was formidable to all her neighbours, and obliged them to give her Hostages.
Under her government the whole Country enjoyed peace; no enemy from abroad disturbed the tranquillity of the People. The Pharisees were the only persons that caused any disturbance, by demanding of the Queen that she would revenge the death of eight hundred Men, who had been crucified by King Alexander Jannæus, and would deliver up those who had promoted this act of inhumanity. They first of all ordered one Diogenes to be dispatched, and after him another; so that none of Alexander’s friends could be secure of their lives. At last the principal Persons about Court, and they who had served in the late King’s armies, came to the Palace with Aristobulus at their head, and shewing sufficiently by their air that what had passed was no way In the Year of the World 3933. before J. C. 67. before the vulgar Æra 71.agreeable to them, they demanded of the Queen, that if there was no consideration to be had for their old services, she would at least permit them to retire, and to secure their lives from the vexations of the Pharisees.
Aristobulus, the Son of Alexandra, expressed his dissatisfaction more than all the rest, and spoke to his Mother with a great deal of vehemence. The Queen not knowing what else to resolve on, distributed these old Officers in the several Fortresses of the Country, but put none of them into the Castles of Hircanium, Alexandrium, and Machærus, whither she had removed every thing valuable that she had.
In the Year of the World 3934, before J. C. 66, before the vulgar Æra 70.Some time after Alexandra sent her Son Aristobulus towards Damascus, with troops against Ptolemy Mennæus, who very much incommoded this City. But Aristobulus returned without having done any thing that was memorable. After this, Tigranes coming to besiege Ptolemais, Alexandra sent Ambassadors to him with great presents, desiring him not to undertake any thing against her dominions. Tigranes received the Ambassadors very well, promised to have regard to the Queen’s request, and was soon after obliged to return into Armenia to oppose Lucullus, who was ravaging it.
At last Queen Alexandra falling dangerously ill, Aristobulus her Son thought it not convenient to defer any longer the execution of a design which he had formed a great while since. He went out by night, attended only with one Servant, and visited all the Castles where his Father’s friends commanded, in order to make himself Master of them, and prevent the Pharisees, lest they should seize upon the Government. The next day, as soon as it was light, and it was known that Aristobulus was absent, the Queen suspected that he was gone upon some enterprize, and was confirmed in her opinion, when Couriers came one after another, to inform her that the Fortresses had for the most part surrendred one after another to Aristobulus.
This news threw her into great consternation; orders were given for seizing the Wife and Children of Aristobulus, whom he had left at Jerusalem, and they were kept in the Fortress which was adjoining to the Temple. In the mean time Aristobulus immediately got possession of two and twenty places of strength, and saw himself soon at the head of a great number of Troops which came in voluntarily to serve him. Hircanus his Brother, and the principal persons of the Nation, came to the Queen, and desired her to put things into some order; but her indispolition would no longer give her leave to think of war. She died soon after, at the age of seventy three, after she had been nine years Regent. In the year of the World 3935. before J. C. 65. before the vulgar Æra 69.
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