But though nominated, he did not find it quite easy to
obtain possession of the post. The Tobiadae took his side, but the
body of the people stuck to Jason, who was compelled to give way
only when Syrian troops had been brought upon the scene. Menelaus
had immediately, however, to encounter another difficulty, for he
could not at once pay the amount of tribute which he had promised.
He helped himself so far indeed by robbing the temple, but this
landed him in new embarrassments. Onias III., who was living out
of employment at Antioch, threatened to make compromising revelations
to the king; he was, however, opportunely assassinated.
The rage of the people against the priestly temple-plunderer now
broke out in a rising against a certain Lysimachus, who at the
instance of the absent Menelaus had made further inroads upon the
sacred treasury. The Jews' defence before the king (at Tyre) on
account of this uproar resolved itself into a grievous complaint
against the conduct of Menelaus. His case was a bad one, but money
again helped him out of his straits, and the extreme penalty of the
law fell upon his accusers.
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