The Jewish Historian Flavius Josephus: A Biographical Investigation

the tradition by eliminating the aristocratic ancestry of the Herodians. The Antiquities is
coloured with an anti-Herodian [trend] otherwise as well, in that other nuances are introduced
in details: the War states that Antipater has excelled by his strength, so the Antiquities describes
him as a brutal person and a friend of factions; in the War Antipater was an object of hatred for
Aristobulus who therefore was at fault for the conflict, but according to the Antiquities
Antipater hates Aristobulus and thereby becomes the culprit [himself]. No new material exists
anywhere here, as is seen, but only a reinterpretation of the War. It is different with section 10,
which deals with Antipas: a secondary source must [have been] used for this part of the
insertion, and we shall establish its origin [to be] in the memoirs of Herod with which Josephus
was familiar (page 214, footnote).
The motives for Antipater are given in the War in that he, who is hated by Aristobulus,
understandably feels apprehensive when the latter assumes the rulership. For this reason he
attempts to regain the rulership for Hyrcanus; in this spirit [Antipater] advises him to flee to
Aretas and to conquer the land from there, while he [himself] wins Aretas over [and convinces
him] to take Hyrcanus in and help him regain the rule over his kingdom; in this spirit he
presents to him how unjust it would be that the older and more deserving Hyrcanus was
pushed aside in such a manner. The Antiquities twists the substance around: Hyrcanus is not
moved to flight by the hope of recovering rulership but rather because Antipater maligns
Aristobulus to him [claiming] that he is seeking his life (12, 14), and accordingly Hyrcanus
[139] goes to Aretas seeking refuge (15) after he had been promised by [Aretas] not, as in the
War, reinstatement to his rulership, but rather only secure accommodation. This is also a
deliberate reworking. Indeed, in the War Hyrcanus was absolutely not the weak character who
had given up everything but his bare existence; there he still enjoyed the honours due to the
king’s brother and could accordingly aspire to regnancy again. In the Antiquities he had cast
everything aside in his weakness, and had saved only his life. Thus when Antipater wished to
malign Aristobulus, this could only still happen by [alleging] that Aristobulus was seeking
Hyracanus’ life. As a result a complete rupture in the narrative of the Antiquities is introduced
here just like in section 1; if Hyrcanus had betaken himself to Aretas in order to save his skin
from Aristobulus’ persecution, how does it then happen that he nevertheless ends up
persuading Aretas to lead him back with forces? This military action belongs within the view
of the War where Hyrcanus had fled to Aretas in order to recover his rulership; in the
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