Antigonus (II)

II. ANTIGONUS, the Son of John Hircanus, and Grandson to Simon Maccabæus. His Brother Aristobulus made him his Associate in the Kingdom¹. Their union was interrupted by the envy and false accusations of their Enemies, who attempted to make Antigonus suspected by Aristobulus; who would never hearken to the ill which they reported of his Brother, till Antigonus one day returning from the war in a suit of rich armour, attended with a numerous retinue, went directly to the Temple, armed as he was, upon the day when the feast of Tabernacles, one of the principal which the Jews observed, was celebrated. Antigonus’s enemies represented to Aristobulus, who was then indisposed, that his Brother affected visibly the Royal Power, and took upon him the airs of a Sovereign; and that he would come very soon with a great number of soldiers in his company, to kill him.

Aristobulus could not imagine things to be as they were reported; yet thought it was not proper intirely to neglect this intelligence. He ordered therefore his guards to be posted in an obscure subterraneous place, through which Antigonus was to pass, and directed them to seize and kill him, if he came that way armed; and if he came unarmed to let him pass. Now Aristobulus lay in the Tower which was afterwards called Antonia. He sent therefore to his Brother, desiring him to come and visit him without arms. But the Queen on the contrary, and Antigonus’s enemies, inform’d him that the King having understood he had the finest arms in the world, desired he would come to see him with them. Antigonus, who had no distrust of any thing, went armed as he was to wait upon the King; but as he passed under the Tower called Strato’s, he was killed by Aristobulus’s Guards.

There was at that time one Judas at Jerusalem, who had the gift of Prophecy, so as to foretel always what was to come to pass, with great certainty. He being upon this day in the midst of his Disciples, and seeing Antigonus going, as we have said, to the Temple, cried out that he could not be able to survive his own shame; for whereas he had formerly foretold that Antigonus should on this day be killed in Strato’s Tower, he saw him living, and in perfect health. But in a little time after, it was known that this Prince was massacred in a place called Strato’s Tower, which confirmed the opinion some had entertained of his predictions being infallible. This happened in the year of the world 3899. before J. C. 101. before the vulgar Æra 105.

Read this article in its place on the printed pages