historical perspectives: from the hasmoneans to bar kokhba in light ...

40 HANAN ESHEL
7. will fall." . . . They are the] Kittim, who will fa[11] by the hand of
Israel. And the poor ones of
8. [Judah will judge] all the nations, and the warriors will be filled
with terror, and [their] cour[age] will dissolve
9. ... "and those who are lofty] in stature will be cut off." They are
the warriors of the Kitt[im]
10. [who . . .]d "And the thickets of [the] forest will be cut down with
an axe." th[ey are]
11. [. . .]m for the battle of the Kittim. "And Lebanon together with
the mi[ghty one]
12. [will fall." They are the] Kittim, who will be gi[ven] into the hand
of his great ones. [. . .]
13. [. . .]ym when he flees befo[re Is]rael. [. . .]
14 [. . .] vacat
Isa. 10:28-34 describes how the enemy marches from the northeast
to Jerusalem, conquering various villages on the way. When the
enemy gets very close to Jerusalem (able to shake his hand over Mt.
Zion), God will crush the enemy and Jerusalem will be redeemed. In
1974, J. D. Amusin suggested identifying the events mentioned in
this pesher on Isaiah 10 as relating to Ptolemy Lathyrus' campaign
against Alexander Jannaeus. 31 According to Josephus (War 1.86 =
Ant. 13.324-56), when Alexander Jannaeus established himself in
power, he tried to conquer Acco-Ptolemais. After he succeeded in
overcoming the army of Ptolemais on the battlefield, he laid siege
to the city. At that point, the people of Ptolemais called upon Ptolemy
Lathyrus IX, who was then ruling at Cyprus, to help them fight
Alexander Jannaeus. At that time, Ptolemy was not on good terms
with his mother, Cleopatra III, the queen of Egypt, who in turn was
supporting his brother, Ptolemy Alexander I. Before Lathyrus sailed
from Cyprus to Palestine, the people of Acco withdrew their request.
Nevertheless, Ptolemy Lathyrus proceeded, landed in Shiqmonah
south of Acco, and started his journey toward the city of Acco.
Alexander Jannaeus, from his side, started to negotiate with Ptolemy
Lathyrus; at the same time, Jannaeus asked Lathyrus' mother,
Cleopatra, to come to his aid. After Ptolemy Lathyrus found out
that Jannaeus had sent messengers to Cleopatra, he began to attack
31 J. D. Amoussine [= Amusin], "A propos de I'interpretation de 4Q161 (fragments
5-6 et 8)," RevQ8 (1974): 381-92; J. D. Amusin, "The Reflection of Historical
Events of the First Century B.C. in Qumran Commentaries (4Q161; 4Q169; 4Q166),"
HUCA 48 (1977): 123-34.