The Jewish Historian Flavius Josephus: A Biographical Investigation

alleged defection of the Jews to Hyrcanus and the attempt at bribery by Aristobulus and
Hyrcanus – Schürer (294), Wellhausen (292), Ewald (519 f.), Renan (145), Holtzmann (213) and
Lehmann-Haupt (208) subscribe to [the reading in] the Antiquities, while the other researchers
beat around the bush about these matters. In view of this, [let us] briefly outline the
progression [of events] here as well: Aretas forces Aristobulus back to Jerusalem and besieges
him in the city, which would have undoubtedly fallen too, if Scaurus had not intervened.
Envoys from both brothers appear before the Roman commander who decided in favour of
Aristobulus 53 and issued the order to Hyrcanus and the Arabians to withdraw from Jerusalem.
Aristobulus sets out after his retreating opponents and defeats them decisively at Papyron.
4. Hyrcanus and Aristobulus before Pomp ey
with supplementary information about Theophanes of Mytilene
War 131 - 132 = Ant. 34 - 47
The ruling that Scaurus passed was only temporary, because Pompey himself arrived in
Damascus in the spring of 63. Both parties called on the Roman imperator, whereupon it finally
came to an open rift between Pompey and Aristobulus. – First of all, in the Antiquities the
citation from Strabo, which is already formally bracketed [verzahnt] by doublets (ἧκον παρ’
αὐτὸν πρέσβεις = ἧκον πάλιν πρέσβεις πρὸς αὐτὸν) is to be omitted; the basic conception
therefore reads: When Pompey came to Damascus [146] and Colesyria, ἧκον παρ’ αὐτὸν
πρέσβεις // Ἀντίπατρος μὲν ὑπὲρ Ὑρκανοῦ, Νικόδημος δὲ ὑπὲρ Ἀριστοβούλου (34a, 37b). Hence
it follows that Josephus himself saw [a work of] Strabo or one that was reworked, extracted an
excerpt [from it] and incorporated this into his [own] work.
The [text] that is now remaining shows us some very interesting facts with respect to
the War; according to War 131 Hyrcanus and Antipater call on Pompey in Damascus and beg
him “without having brought any gifts, trusting in the justice of their cause” to reinstate
Hyrcanus. Aristobulus, on the other hand, trusted in the gifts that he had previously given to
Scaurus, and appears in regal robes. But since he could not bring himself to appear upon
53 The source of the War attempts to promote Antipater; consequently it can attribute Scaurus’
supporting Antipater’s side only to bribery. No one will be able to determine today whether
Scaurus really was bribed, or whether he actually joined Aristobulus’ side, which is the second
128