] polluted the temple, and imposed
tributes on the Jews, that out of the public stock, before they offered
the daily sacrifices, they should pay for every lamb fifty shekels.
Now Jesus was the brother of John, and was a friend of Bagoses, who
had promised to procure him the high priesthood. In confidence of whose
support, Jesus quarreled with John in the temple, and so provoked his
brother, that in his anger his brother slew him. Now it was a horrible
thing for John, when he was high priest, to perpetrate so great a crime,
and so much the more horrible, that there never was so cruel and impious
a thing done, neither by the Greeks nor Barbarians. However, God did
not neglect its punishment, but the people were on that very account
enslaved, and the temple was polluted by the Persians. Now when Bagoses,
the general of Artaxerxes's army, knew that John, the high priest of the
Jews, had slain his own brother Jesus in the temple, he came upon the
Jews immediately, and began in anger to say to them, "Have you had the
impudence to perpetrate a murder in your temple?" And as he was aiming
to go into the temple, they forbade him so to do; but he said to them,
"Am not I purer than he that was slain in the temple?" And when he had
said these words, he went into the temple. Accordingly, Bagoses made use
of this pretense, and punished the Jews seven years for the murder of
Jesus.

2. Now when John had departed this life, his son Jaddua succeeded in the
high priesthood. He had a brother, whose name was Manasseh. Now there
was one Sanballat, who was sent by Darius, the last king [of Persia],
into Samaria. He was a Cutheam by birth; of which stock were the
Samaritans also. This man knew that the city Jerusalem was a famous
city, and that their kings had given a great deal of trouble to the
Assyrians, and the people of Celesyria; so that he willingly gave his
daughter, whose name was Nicaso, in marriage to Manasseh, as thinking
this alliance by marriage would be a pledge and security that the nation
of the Jews should continue their good-will to him.

CHAPTER 8. Concerning Sanballat And Manasseh, And The Temple Which They
Built On Mount Gerizzim; As Also How Alexander Made His Entry Into The
City Jerusalem, And What Benefits He Bestowed On The Jews.

1. About this time it was that Philip, king of Macedon, was
treacherously assaulted and slain at Egae by Pausanias, the son of
Cerastes, who was derived from the family of Oreste,