Flavius Josephus
Josephus
on Crucifixion
Josephus
on The invasion of Palestine by Antiochus Epiphanies c. 167
B.C. giving rise to the Maccabean revolt (Channukah).
T3.
"King Antiochus returning out of Egypt (16) for fear of the
Romans, made an expedition against the city Jerusalem; and
when he was there, in the hundred and forty-third year of
the kingdom of the Seleucides, he took the city without
fighting, those of his own party opening the gates to him.
And when he had gotten possession of Jerusalem, he slew many
of the opposite party; and when he had plundered it of a
great deal of money, he returned to Antioch.
4. Now it came to pass, after two years, in the hundred
forty and fifth year, on the twenty-fifth day of that month
which is by us called Chislev, and by the Macedonians
Apelleus, in the hundred and fifty-third olympiad, that the
king came up to Jerusalem, and, pretending peace, he got
possession of the city by treachery; at which time he spared
not so much as those that admitted him into it, on account
of the riches that lay in the temple; but, led by his
covetous inclination, (for he saw there was in it a great
deal of gold, and many ornaments that had been dedicated to
it of very great value,) and in order to plunder its wealth,
he ventured to break the league he had made. So he left the
temple bare, and took away the golden candlesticks, and the
golden altar [of incense], and table [of shew-bread], and
the altar [of burnt-offering]; and did not abstain from even
the veils, which were made of fine linen and scarlet.
He also emptied it of its secret treasures, and left nothing
at all remaining; and by this means cast the Jews into great
lamentation, for he forbade them to offer those daily
sacrifices which they used to offer to God, according to the
law. And when he had pillaged the whole city, some of the
inhabitants he slew, and some he carried captive, together
with their wives and children, so that the multitude of
those captives that were taken alive amounted to about ten
thousand. He also burnt down the finest buildings; and when
he had overthrown the city walls, he built a citadel in the
lower part of the city, (17) for the place was high, and
overlooked the temple; on which account he fortified it with
high walls and towers, and put into it a garrison of
Macedonians. However, in that citadel dwelt the impious and
wicked part of the [Jewish] multitude, from whom it proved
that the citizens suffered many and sore calamities.
And when the king had built an idol altar upon God's altar,
he slew swine upon it, and so offered a sacrifice neither
according to the law, nor the Jewish religious worship in
that country. He also compelled them to forsake the worship
which they paid their own God, and to adore those whom he
took to be gods; and made them build temples, and raise idol
altars in every city and village, and offer swine upon them
every day. He also commanded them not to circumcise their
sons, and threatened to punish any that should be found to
have transgressed his injunction. He also appointed
overseers, who should compel them to do what he commanded.
And indeed many Jews there were who complied with the king's
commands, either voluntarily, or out of fear of the penalty
that was denounced.
But the best men, and those of the noblest souls, did not
regard him, but did pay a greater respect to the customs of
their country than concern as to the punishment which he
threatened to the disobedient; on which account they every
day underwent great miseries and bitter torments; for they
were whipped with rods, and their bodies were torn to
pieces, and were crucified, while they were still alive, and
breathed. They also strangled those women and their sons
whom they had circumcised, as the king had appointed,
hanging their sons about their necks as they were upon the
crosses. And if there were any sacred book of the law found,
it was destroyed, and those with whom they were found
miserably perished also."
Flavius Josephus "Antiquities of the Jews" 12: Chapter 5
Also:
Josephus wrote about Alexander Jannaeus, the Maccabean king
(103-76 B.C.E.), who turned against the Pharisees and had
hundreds crucified.
2. "Now as Alexander fled to the mountains, six thousand of
the Jews hereupon came together [from Demetrius] to him out
of pity at the change of his fortune; upon which Demetrius
was afraid, and retired out of the country; after which the
Jews fought against Alexander, and being beaten, were slain
in great numbers in the several battles which they had; and
when he had shut up the most powerful of them in the city
Bethome, he besieged them therein; and when he had taken the
city, and gotten the men into his power, he brought them to
Jerusalem, and did one of the most barbarous actions in the
world to them; for as he was feasting with his concubines,
in the sight of all the city, he ordered about eight hundred
of them to be crucified; and while they were living, he
ordered the throats of their children and wives to be cut
before their eyes.
This was indeed by way of revenge for the injuries they had
done him; which punishment yet was of an inhuman nature,
though we suppose that he had been never so much distressed,
as indeed he had been, by his wars with them, for he had by
their means come to the last degree of hazard, both of his
life and of his kingdom, while they were not satisfied by
themselves only to fight against him, but introduced
foreigners also for the same purpose; nay, at length they
reduced him to that degree of necessity, that he was forced
to deliver back to the king of Arabia the land of Moab and
Gilead, which he had subdued, and the places that were in
them, that they might not join with them in the war against
him, as they had done ten thousand other things that tended
to affront and reproach him.
However, this barbarity seems to have been without any
necessity, on which account he bare the name of a Thracian
among the Jews (40) whereupon the soldiers that had fought
against him, being about eight thousand in number, ran away
by night, and continued fugitives all the time that
Alexander lived; who being now freed from any further
disturbance from them, reigned the rest of his time in the
utmost tranquility."
Flavius
Josephus "Antiquities of the Jews" 13: Chapter 14
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