Page:Selections. Translated by H. St. J. Thackeray (1919).djvu/170

 (57) "Conciliate the Pharisees"—Alexander's dying advice to Alexandra

Alexander Jannæus (of the Hasmonæan dynasty; reigned 104-78 ), on his last campaign, lies dying during the siege of Ragaba, near Gerasa on the east of Jordan.

The Queen, seeing him to be near his end and now past hope of recovery, wept and lamented for her impending desolation and poured out her grief for herself and her children. "To whom are you thus leaving me," so she spoke to him, "and our children who need others to help them, knowing as you do the ill-will which the nation bears you?"

Alexander advised her, if she wished to secure both the throne and their children, to comply with his suggestions. She was to conceal his death from the soldiers until she had taken the town. She was then to enter Jerusalem in triumph after her victory and to concede a measure of authority to the Pharisees; for they would commend her for the honour paid them and dispose the nation in her favour. The Pharisees, he told her, had great influence with the Jews (and could use it) to the injury of any who hated them, or to the advantage of those who were on friendly terms with them; above all they had the confidence of the common people in any harsh criticism which they might pronounce on others, even though prompted by mere malice; the offence which he himself had given to the nation arose from his insulting the Pharisees. "Do you accordingly," he said, "when you reach Jerusalem, send for such of them as are factious, display my dead body, and with absolute sincerity allow them to use me as they will, whether they prefer to do despite to my corpse by