sness and hence, by implication, the immortality of the
individual. "God created man for incorruption," and "the souls of the
righteous are in his hand." The doctrine here presented is ethical and
spiritual rather than the belief in a bodily resurrection already
formulated in the twelfth chapter of Daniel. It also teaches that
both the good and bad will be rewarded according to their deeds. Its
conceptions of God are exalted. He is the incorruptible spirit in all
things, just and yet merciful, the lover of men. The book also places side
by side with the Jewish teachings regarding men's duties to God and their
fellow-men the Greek virtues of moderation, good sense, justice, and
courage or fortitude. It also teaches that, like God, each of his children
should be a lover of men. Thus the book unites most effectively that
which is best in the thought of Judaism and Hellenism and is an earnest
of that still nobler union that was later realized in the thought and
teachings of Christianity.

Section CXVI. THE DECLINE OF THE MACCABEAN KINGDOM

[Sidenote: Jos. War, I, 4:1]
After Aristobulus died, his wife Salome, who by the Greeks was called
Alexandra, released his brothers from prison (for Aristobulus had kept
them in confinement), and made Alexander Janneus, who was the oldest,
king.

[Sidenote: Jos. War, I, 4:2]
Now there was a battle between him and Ptolemy, who was called Lathyrus,
who had taken the city of Asochis. He indeed slew many of his enemies, but
the victory rather inclined to Ptolemy. But when this Ptolemy was pursued
by his mother, Cleopatra, and retired into Egypt, Alexander besieged and
took Gadara and Amathus, which was the strongest of all the fortresses
that were beyond the Jordan, and the most valued of all the possessions of
Theodorus, the son of Zeno, were therein. Thereupon Theodorus marched
suddenly against him and took what belonged to himself, and slew ten
thousand of the Jews. Alexander, however, recovered from this blow and
turned his force toward the maritime districts and took Gaza, Raphia, and
Anthedon.

[Sidenote: Jos. War, I, 4:3]
But when he had enslaved all these cities, the Jews made an insurrection
against him at a festival and it looked as though he would not have been
able to escape the plot they had laid for him, had not his foreign
auxiliaries come to his aid. And when he had slain more than six thousand
of the rebels, he invaded Arabia, and when he had conquered the Gileadites