n expedition
against Aristobulus with an army of fifty thousand horse and foot, and
beat him in the battle. And when after that victory many went over
to Hyrcanus as deserters, Aristobulus was left desolate, and fled to
Jerusalem; upon which the king of Arabia took all his army, and made an
assault upon the temple, and besieged Aristobulus therein, the people
still supporting Hyreanus, and assisting him in the siege, while none
but the priests continued with Aristobulus. So Aretas united the forces
of the Arabians and of the Jews together, and pressed on the siege
vigorously. As this happened at the time when the feast of unleavened
bread was celebrated, which we call the passover, the principal men
among the Jews left the country, and fled into Egypt. Now there was one,
whose name was Onias, a righteous man he was, and beloved of God, who,
in a certain drought, had prayed to God to put an end to the intense
heat, and whose prayers God had heard, and had sent them rain. This man
had hid himself, because he saw that this sedition would last a great
while. However, they brought him to the Jewish camp, and desired, that
as by his prayers he had once put an end to the drought, so he would in
like manner make imprecations on Aristobulus and those of his faction.
And when, upon his refusal, and the excuses that he made, he was still
by the multitude compelled to speak, he stood up in the midst of them,
and said, "O God, the King of the whole world! since those that stand
now with me are thy people, and those that are besieged are also thy
priests, I beseech thee, that thou wilt neither hearken to the prayers
of those against these, nor bring to effect what these pray against
those." Whereupon such wicked Jews as stood about him, as soon as he had
made this prayer, stoned him to death.

2. But God punished them immediately for this their barbarity, and took
vengeance of them for the murder of Onias, in the manner following:
While the priests and Aristobulus were besieged, it happened that the
feast called the passover was come, at which it is our custom to offer a
great number of sacrifices to God; but those that were with Aristobulus
wanted sacrifices, and desired that their countrymen without would
furnish them with such sacrifices, and assured them they should have as
much money for them as they should desire; and when they required them
to pay a thousand drachmae for each head of cattle, Aristobulus and
the priests willing