neus, the
great-grandfather of Mattathias, as Josephus here informs us.

[20] The reason why Bethshah was called Scythopolis is well known from
Herodotus, B. I. p. 105, and Syncellus, p. 214, that the Scythians, when
they overran Asia, in the days of Josiah, seized on this city, and kept
it as long as they continued in Asia, from which time it retained the
name of Scythopolis, or the City of the Scythians.

[21] This most providential preservation of all the religious Jews in
this expedition, which was according to the will of God, is observable
often among God's people, the Jews; and somewhat very like it in the
changes of the four monarchies, which were also providential. See
Prideaux at the years 331, 333, and 334.

[22] Here is another great instance of Providence, that when, even at
the very time that Simon, and Judas, and Jonathan were so miraculously
preserved and blessed, in the just defense of their laws and religion,
these other generals of the Jews, who went to fight for honor in a
vain-glorious way, and without any commission from God, or the family he
had raised up to deliver them, were miserably disappointed and defeated.
See 1 Macc. 5:61, 62. [23] Since St. Paul, a Pharisee, confesses that he
had not known concupiscence, or desires, to be sinful, had not the tenth
commandment said, "Thou shalt not covet," Romans 7:7, the case seems
to have been much the same with our Josephus, who was of the same sect,
that he had not a deep sense of the greatness of any sins that proceeded
no further than the intention. However, since Josephus speaks here
properly of the punishment of death, which is not intended by any law,
either of God or man, for the bare intention, his words need not to be
strained to mean, that sins intended, but not executed, were no sins at
all.

[24] No wonder that Josephus here describes Antiochus Eupator as young,
and wanting tuition, when he came to the crown, since Appian informs us
[Syriac. p. 177] that he was then but nine years old.

[25] It is no way probable that Josephus would call Bacchidoa, that
bitter and bloody enemy of the Jews, as our present copies have it,
a man good, or kind, and gentle, What the author of the First Book of
Maccabees, whom Josephus here follows, instead of that character, says
of him, is, that he was a great man in the kingdom, and faithful to his
king; which was very probably Josephus's meaning also.

[26] Josephus's copies must have been corrupted when