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But Hyrcanus the high priest was desirous to renew that league of
friendship they had with the Romans. Accordingly, he sent an embassage
to them; and when the senate had received their epistle, they made a league
of friendship with them, after the manner following: "Fanius, the
son of Marcus, the praetor, gathered the senate together on the eighth
day before the Ides of February, in the senate-house, when Lucius Manlius,
the son of Lucius, of the Mentine tribe, and Caius Sempronius, the son
of Caius, of the Falernian tribe, were present. The occasion was, that
the ambassadors sent by the people of the Jews
1
Simon, the son of Dositheus, and Apollonius, the son of Alexander, and
Diodorus, the son of Jason, who were good and virtuous men, had somewhat
to propose about that league of friendship and mutual assistance which
subsisted between them and the Romans, and about other public affairs,
who desired that Joppa, and the havens, and Gazara, and the springs [of
Jordan], and the several other cities and countries of theirs, which Antiochus
had taken from them in the war, contrary to the decree of the senate, might
be restored to them; and that it might not be lawful for the king's troops
to pass through their country, and the countries of those that are subject
to them; and that what attempts Antiochus had made during that war, without
the decree of the senate, might be made void; and that they would send
ambassadors, who should take care that restitution be made them of what
Antiochus had taken from them, and that they should make an estimate of
the country that had been laid waste in the war; and that they would grant
them letters of protection to the kings and free people, in order to their
quiet return home. It was therefore decreed, as to these points, to renew
their league of friendship and mutual assistance with these good men, and
who were sent by a good and a friendly people." But as to the letters
desired, their answer was, that the senate would consult about that matter
when their own affairs would give them leave; and that they would endeavor,
for the time to come, that no like injury should be done to them; and that
their praetor Fanius should give them money out of the public treasury
to bear their expenses home. And thus did Fanius dismiss the Jewish ambassadors,
and gave them money out of the public treasury; and gave the decree of
the senate to those that were to conduct them, and to take care that they
should return home in safety.