erda to the Jews there, and demanded Anileus.
But although they did not agree to their demands, [for if they had been
willing to deliver him up, it was not in their power so to do,] yet did
they desire to make peace with them. To which the other replied, that
they also wanted to settle conditions of peace with them, and sent men
together with the Babylonians, who discoursed with Anileus about them.
But the Babylonians, upon taking a view of his situation, and having
learned where Anileus and his men lay, fell secretly upon them as they
were drunk and fallen asleep, and slew all that they caught of them,
without any fear, and killed Anileus himself also.

8. The Babylonians were now freed from Anileus's heavy incursions, which
had been a great restraint to the effects of that hatred they bore to
the Jews; for they were almost always at variance, by reason of the
contrariety of their laws; and which party soever grew boldest before
the other, they assaulted the other: and at this time in particular it
was, that upon the ruin of Anileus's party, the Babylonians attacked the
Jews, which made those Jews so, vehemently to resent the injuries they
received from the Babylonians, that being neither able to fight them,
nor bearing to live with them, they went to Seleucia, the principal city
of those parts, which was built by Seleucus Nicator. It was inhabited by
many of the Macedonians, but by more of the Grecians; not a few of the
Syrians also dwelt there; and thither did the Jews fly, and lived there
five years, without any misfortunes. But on the sixth year, a pestilence
came upon these at Babylon, which occasioned new removals of men's
habitations out of that city; and because they came to Seleucia, it
happened that a still heavier calamity came upon them on that account
which I am going to relate immediately.

9. Now the way of living of the people of Seleucia, which were Greeks
and Syrians, was commonly quarrelsome, and full of discords, though the
Greeks were too hard for the Syrians. When, therefore, the Jews were
come thither, and dwelt among them, there arose a sedition, and the
Syrians were too hard for the other, by the assistance of the Jews, who
are men that despise dangers, and very ready to fight upon any occasion.
Now when the Greeks had the worst in this sedition, and saw that they
had but one way of recovering their former authority, and that was, if
they could prevent the agreement between the Jews and the Syr