s guests there, whose
name was Eleazar, a man of an ill temper, and delighting in seditious
practices. This man said, "Since thou desirest to know the truth, if
thou wilt be righteous in earnest, lay down the high priesthood, and
content thyself with the civil government of the people," And when he
desired to know for what cause he ought to lay down the high priesthood,
the other replied, "We have heard it from old men, that thy mother had
been a captive under the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes. [29]" This story
was false, and Hyrcanus was provoked against him; and all the Pharisees
had a very great indignation against him.

6. Now there was one Jonathan, a very great friend of Hyrcanus's, but of
the sect of the Sadducees, whose notions are quite contrary to those of
the Pharisees. He told Hyrcanus that Eleazar had cast such a reproach
upon him, according to the common sentiments of all the Pharisees, and
that this would be made manifest if he would but ask them the question,
What punishment they thought this man deserved? for that he might depend
upon it, that the reproach was not laid on him with their approbation,
if they were for punishing him as his crime deserved. So the Pharisees
made answer, that he deserved stripes and bonds, but that it did not
seem right to punish reproaches with death. And indeed the Pharisees,
even upon other occasions, are not apt to be severe in punishments. At
this gentle sentence, Hyrcanus was very angry, and thought that this man
reproached him by their approbation. It was this Jonathan who chiefly
irritated him, and influenced him so far, that he made him leave the
party of the Pharisees, and abolish the decrees they had imposed on the
people, and to punish those that observed them. From this source arose
that hatred which he and his sons met with from the multitude: but of
these matters we shall speak hereafter. What I would now explain is
this, that the Pharisees have delivered to the people a great many
observances by succession from their fathers, which are not written in
the laws of Moses; and for that reason it is that the Sadducees reject
them, and say that we are to esteem those observances to be obligatory
which are in the written word, but are not to observe what are derived
from the tradition of our forefathers. And concerning these things it
is that great disputes and differences have arisen among them, while
the Sadducees are able to persuade none but the rich, and have not