think fit first to begin the claim of this
relation to you, lest we should seem too early in taking to ourselves
the glory which is now given us by you. It is a long time since this
relation of ours to you hath been renewed; and when we, upon holy
and festival days, offer sacrifices to God, we pray to him for your
preservation and victory. As to ourselves, although we have had many
wars that have compassed us around, by reason of the covetousness of our
neighbors, yet did not we determine to be troublesome either to you, or
to others that were related to us; but since we have now overcome our
enemies, and have occasion to send Numenius the son of Antiochus, and
Antipater the son of Jason, who are both honorable men belonging to our
senate, to the Romans, we gave them this epistle to you also, that they
might renew that friendship which is between us. You will therefore do
well yourselves to write to us, and send us an account of what you stand
in need of from us, since we are in all things disposed to act according
to your desires." So the Lacedemonians received the ambassadors kindly,
and made a decree for friendship and mutual assistance, and sent it to
them.

9. At this time there were three sects among the Jews, who had different
opinions concerning human actions; the one was called the sect of the
Pharisees, another the sect of the Sadducees, and the other the sect of
the Essens. Now for the Pharisees, [11] they say that some actions, but
not all, are the work of fate, and some of them are in our own power,
and that they are liable to fate, but are not caused by fate. But
the sect of the Essens affirm, that fate governs all things, and that
nothing befalls men but what is according to its determination. And for
the Sadducees, they take away fate, and say there is no such thing,
and that the events of human affairs are not at its disposal; but
they suppose that all our actions are in our own power, so that we are
ourselves the causes of what is good, and receive what is evil from our
own folly. However, I have given a more exact account of these opinions
in the second book of the Jewish War.

10. But now the generals of Demetrius being willing to recover the
defeat they had had, gathered a greater army together than they had
before, and came against Jonathan; but as soon as he was informed of
their coming, he went suddenly to meet them, to the country of Hamoth,
for he resolved to give them no opportunity of coming