Josephus Recounts the Seleucid Conquest

During the reign of Antiochus the Great, who ruled over all Asia, the Jews, as well as the inhabitants of Coele-Syria, suffered greatly, and their land was severely devastated. For while he was at war with Ptolemy [IV] Philopater [r. 221–203 BCE], and with his son [Ptolemy V, r. 203–180 BCE], who was called Epiphanes, both nations equally suffered, whether they were defeated or victorious. They were very much like a ship in a storm, tossed by waves on both sides, and thus were they in their situation in the middle between Antiochus’ prosperity and its change to adversity. But at length, when Antiochus had beaten Ptolemy, he seized upon Judaea.

When Philopater died, his son sent out a great army under Scopas, the general of his forces, against the inhabitants of Coele-Syria, who took many of their cities, and in particular our nation, which when defeated went over to him. Yet, it was not long before Antiochus overcame Scopas, in a battle fought at the fountains of Jordan, and destroyed a great part of his army. But afterward, when Antiochus subdued those cities of Coele-Syria that Scopas had taken into his possession, and Samaria with them, the Jews, of their own accord, went over to him [Antiochus] and received him into the city [Jerusalem], gave plentiful provision to all his army and to his elephants, and readily assisted him when he besieged the garrison that was in the citadel of Jerusalem. Because Antiochus thought it just to repay the Jews’ diligence and zeal in his service, he wrote to the generals of his armies and to his friends and gave testimony to the good behavior of the Jews toward him and informed them what rewards he had decided to bestow on them for their behavior. I will set down presently the epistles themselves that he wrote to the generals concerning them but will first produce the testimony of Polybius of Megalopolis, for thus he speaks, in the sixteenth book of his history: “Now Scopas, the general of Ptolemy’s army, went in haste to the superior parts of the country and, in the wintertime, overthrew the nation of the Jews.” He also says, in the same book, that “when Scopas was conquered by Antiochus, Antiochus received Batanea, Samaria, Abila, and Gadara, and that, a while afterward, Jews living near the Temple of Jerusalem came to him, concerning which, although I have more to say, and particularly concerning the presence of God connected with that Temple, yet do I put off that history till another opportunity.” This is what Polybius relates.