and Moabites, he commanded them to pay him tribute and returned to Amathus
and took the fortress and demolished it.

[Sidenote: Jos. War, I, 4:4, 5]
However, when he fought with Obedas, king of the Arabians, who had laid an
ambush for him near Golan, he lost his entire army, which was crowded
together in a deep valley and trampled to pieces by the multitude of
camels. And fleeing to Jerusalem because of the greatness of the calamity
that had overtaken him, he provoked the multitude, which had hated him
before, to make an insurrection against him. He was, however, too strong
for them in the various battles that were fought between them and he slew
no fewer than fifty thousand of the Jews in the interval of six years. Yet
he had no reason to rejoice in these victories, since he did but consume
his own country, until he at length ceased fighting and desired to come to
an agreement with them. But his changeability and the irregularity of his
conduct made them hate him still more. And when he asked them why they so
hated him and what he should do to appease them they said, "Die."

[Sidenote: Jos. War, I, 4:4c, 5c, 6a, c]
At the same time they invited Demetrius to assist them, and as he readily
complied with their request and came with his army, the Jews joined with
these their auxiliaries about Shechem. In the battle which followed,
Demetrius was the conqueror, although Alexander's mercenaries performed
the greatest exploits. Nevertheless the outcome of this battle proved
different from what was expected by both sides, for those who had invited
Demetrius to come to them did not continue loyal to him although he was
the conqueror, and six thousand Jews out of pity because of the change in
Alexander's condition, when he fled to the mountains, went over to him.
Demetrius, supposing that all the nation would run to Alexander, left the
country and went his way. The rest of the Jewish multitude, however, did
not lay aside their quarrels with Alexander when the auxiliaries were
gone, but had perpetual war with them until he had slain the greater part
of them. Then such a terror seized the people that eight thousand of his
opponents fled away the following night out of all Judea and did not
return until Alexander died.

[Sidenote: Jos. War, I, 4:8c, d]
Alexander also subdued Golan, Seleucia, and what was called the Valley of
Antiochus; besides which he took the strong fortress of Gamala. Then he
returned into Judea after he had