From the Taking of Jerusalem by Antiochus Epiphanes to the Death of Herod the Great - Flavius Josephus

Chapter 8
Alexander Makes an Expedition Against Hyrcanus
1. In the mean time, Scaurus made an expedition into Arabia, but was
stopped by the difficulty of the places about Petra. However, he laid waste
the country about Pella, though even there he was under great hardship; for
his army was afflicted with famine. In order to supply which want, Hyrcanus
afforded him some assistance, and sent him provisions by the means of
Antipater; whom also Scaurus sent to Aretas, as one well acquainted with
him, to induce him to pay him money to buy his peace. The king of Arabia
complied with the proposal, and gave him three hundred talents; upon which
Scaurus drew his army out of Arabia (1)
2. But as for Alexander, that son of Aristobulus who ran away from
Pompey, in some time he got a considerable band of men together, and lay
heavy upon Hyrcanus, and overran Judea, and was likely to overturn him
quickly; and indeed he had come to Jerusalem, and had ventured to rebuild
its wall that was thrown down by Pompey, had not Gabinius, who was sent
as successor to Scaurus into Syria, showed his bravery, as in many other
points, so in making an expedition against Alexander; who, as he was afraid
that he would attack him, so he got together a large army, composed of ten
thousand armed footmen, and fifteen hundred horsemen. He also built walls
about proper places; Alexandrium, and Hyrcanium, and Machorus, that lay
upon the mountains of Arabia.
3. However, Gabinius sent before him Marcus Antonius, and followed
himself with his whole army; but for the select body of soldiers that were
about Antipater, and another body of Jews under the command of Malichus
and Pitholaus, these joined themselves to those captains that were about
Marcus Antonius, and met Alexander; to which body came Oabinius with his
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