ived the rest of his life very
happily, and administered the government after a most extraordinary
manner, and this for thirty-three entire years together. He died,
leaving five sons behind him. He was certainly a very happy man, and
afforded no occasion to have any complaint made of fortune on his
account. He it was who alone had three of the most desirable things in
the world,--the government of his nation, and the high priesthood, and
the gift of prophecy. For the Deity conversed with him, and he was
not ignorant of any thing that was to come afterward; insomuch that he
foresaw and foretold that his two eldest sons would not continue masters
of the government; and it will highly deserve our narration to describe
their catastrophe, and how far inferior these men were to their father
in felicity.

CHAPTER 3.

How Aristobulus Was The First That Put A Diadem About His
Head; And After He Had Put His Mother And Brother To Death,
Died Himself, When He Had Reigned No More Than A Year.

1. For after the death of their father, the elder of them, Aristobulus,
changed the government into a kingdom, and was the first that put a
diadem upon his head, four hundred seventy and one years and three
months after our people came down into this country, when they were set
free from the Babylonian slavery. Now, of his brethren, he appeared to
have an affection for Antigonus, who was next to him, and made him his
equal; but for the rest, he bound them, and put them in prison. He also
put his mother in bonds, for her contesting the government with him;
for John had left her to be the governess of public affairs. He also
proceeded to that degree of barbarity as to cause her to be pined to
death in prison.

2. But vengeance circumvented him in the affair of his brother
Antigonus, whom he loved, and whom he made his partner in the kingdom;
for he slew him by the means of the calumnies which ill men about the
palace contrived against him. At first, indeed, Aristobulus would
not believe their reports, partly out of the affection he had for his
brother, and partly because he thought that a great part of these tales
were owing to the envy of their relaters: however, as Antigonus came
once in a splendid manner from the army to that festival, wherein our
ancient custom is to make tabernacles for God, it happened, in those
days, that Aristobulus was sick, and that, at the conclusion of the
feast, Antigonus came up to it, with