pointment, some persons told him of the defeat of his commanders
whom he had left behind him to fight against Judea, and what strength
the Jews had already gotten. When this concern about these affairs was
added to the former, he was confounded, and by the anxiety he was in
fell into a distemper, which, as it lasted a great while, and as his
pains increased upon him, so he at length perceived he should die in
a little time; so he called his friends to him, and told them that his
distemper was severe upon him; and confessed withal, that this calamity
was sent upon him for the miseries he had brought upon the Jewish
nation, while he plundered their temple, and contemned their God; and
when he had said this, he gave up the ghost. Whence one may wonder at
Polybius of Megalopolis, who, though otherwise a good man, yet saith
that "Antiochus died because he had a purpose to plunder the temple of
Diana in Persia;" for the purposing to do a thing, [23] but not actually
doing it, is not worthy of punishment. But if Polybius could think that
Antiochus thus lost his life on that account, it is much more probable
that this king died on account of his sacrilegious plundering of the
temple at Jerusalem. But we will not contend about this matter with
those who may think that the cause assigned by this Polybius of
Megalopolis is nearer the truth than that assigned by us.

2. However, Antiochus, before he died, called for Philip, who was one of
his companions, and made him the guardian of his kingdom; and gave him
his diadem, and his garment, and his ring, and charged him to carry
them, and deliver them to his son Antiochus; and desired him to take
care of his education, and to preserve the kingdom for him. [24] This
Antiochus died in the hundred forty and ninth year; but it was Lysias
that declared his death to the multitude, and appointed his son
Antiochus to be king, [of whom at present he had the care,] and called
him Eupator.

3. At this time it was that the garrison in the citadel of Jerusalem,
with the Jewish runagates, did a great deal of harm to the Jews; for
the soldiers that were in that garrison rushed out upon the sudden, and
destroyed such as were going up to the temple in order to offer their
sacrifices, for this citadel adjoined to and overlooked the temple. When
these misfortunes had often happened to them, Judas resolved to destroy
that garrison; whereupon he got all the people together, and vigorously
besieged those t